The wait for Heavenly ski resort’s kickoff to its 70th season will take place Monday (Nov. 24).
Heavenly will become the second Tahoe ski resort to open this season. On Friday, Mt. Rose, in nearby Nevada, became the first Tahoe-area ski resort to begin running its lifts.
The famed South Lake Tahoe ski resort announced Saturday that with some recent help from Mother Nature, the wait for the 2025-26 season is over.
Heavenly’s lifts will start spinning for the season at 9 a.m., providing access to skiing and riding from the California side of the mountain via the Gunbarrel Express and the Tram. A DJ will be spinning tunes at Stein’s to set the vibe for Opening Day from first chair to après.
“For 70 years, Heavenly has been a staple of the community and the Lake Tahoe ski experience, bringing people together with incredible skiing, some of the best views on skis anywhere in the world, and high-energy events,” said Shaydar Edelmann, Vice President and General Manager at Heavenly.
SEE PROJECTED TAHOE SKI RESORT OPENINGS BELOW
Thanks to 20 inches of natural snowfall this week, plus cold temperatures that are conducive for snowmaking, Heavenly made the decision to start its season. That means at least two Tahoe ski resorts will be open for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Due to lack of snow and unseasonably high temperatures, two Vail resorts in Tahoe – Heavenly, Northstar California – had to push back their opening dates. Northstar continues to assess conditions day-by-day and is making snow at every possible opportunity to prepare for its opening.
“Mother Nature arrived fashionably late to the party, so Heavenly and Northstar did not hit our originally targeted openings this Friday,” Vail Resorts spokesperson Cole Zimmerman told Tahoe Ski World on Wednesday.
Neither Heavenly or Northstar were able meet their originally planned Nov. 21 opening. A third Vail Resort in Tahoe – Kirkwood – has planned a Dec. 5 opening that is still likely to happen.
“While the resort has grown from its humble beginnings back in 1955 with one single chairlift, the same heart, soul, and energy of this ski community continue to thrive,” Edelmann said. “Our team at Heavenly can’t wait to celebrate this milestone season with our ski community from near and far.”
MT. ROSE OPENING: Despite its planned opening day being delayed by nearly two weeks, Mt. Rose ski resort began running its lifts Friday (Nov. 21), becoming the first Tahoe-area ski resort to open for the 2025-26 season.
The anticipation was palpable as skiers and riders lined up early Friday morning for the first rides up the Nevada ski resort, which is located off the Mt. Rose Highway, approximately 10 miles from Incline Village in North Lake Tahoe and 25 miles from Reno.
For a fourth straight year, Mt. Rose became the first ski resort in the Tahoe region to open for the season. A year ago, Mt. Rose’s season-opener was Nov. 8.
Mt. Rose was also the first Nevada ski resort to begin the new season.
“Every year, one of our goals is to be the first Tahoe area resort to open, and to offer one of the longest ski and ride seasons in the region,” said Mike Pierce, the Mt. Rose marketing and sales director. “Thanks to the recent storms combined with the highest base area elevation at 8,260 feet, we’re excited to offer folks the ability to get on snow for their first turns of the season.”
Mt. Rose received 6-8 inches of new snow Thursday, bringing its early-season total to 27 inches at its summit. That allowed Mt. Rose to operate the Lakeview Express chair lift that accesses three intermediate trails – Kit Carson Traverse, Kit Carson Bowl and Ponderosa. The resort hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
BOREAL, SIERRA DELAY OPENINGS: Typically one of Tahoe’s first resorts to open, Boreal Mountain announced Thursday that its planned opening (Nov. 21) has been pushed back due to a lack of snow.
Boreal is located off Interstate 80 at Donner Summit and is the only Tahoe ski resort to offer night skiing and riding.
Located off Highway 50, 12 miles west of South Lake Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe said its Nov. 28 plans for opening will be delayed due to a lack of snow coverage.
“We know skiers and riders have been waiting for opening day as much as we have,” a statement from Sierra said. “While this week’s storm brought highly anticipated snowfall and our teams have been working hard to set up the resort, we’re still short of the base we need to open for skiing and snowboarding on Nov. 28.”
PROJECTED TAHOE SKI RESORT OPENINGS
- Mt. Rose: open Nov. 21
- Heavenly: Nov. 24
- Northstar California: TBA
- Boreal: TBA
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: TBA
- Palisades Tahoe: Nov. 26
- Granlibakken: Nov. 27
- Sugar Bowl: Nov. 28
- Soda Springs: Nov. 28
- Diamond Peak: Dec. 4
- Kirkwood: Dec. 5
- Homewood: Dec. 12
- Tahoe Donner: Dec. 19
