Tahoe ski resorts have already received their primary gift – considerable snow and terrific Christmas Day weather.
However, following the balmy high temperatures Sunday that may hit the low 50s, there will be dramatic weather changes at Tahoe ski resorts starting Monday (Dec. 26).
The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting Ridgetop winds will begin increasing Monday with gusts possibly reaching 70 to 100 mph.
The NWS is anticipating snow levels starting at about 8,000 feet before dropping Tuesday evening. The service is forecasting by Wednesday night there’s a chance of 2 feet of snow along the Sierra crest above 9,000 feet and a foot along the crest above 7,000 feet.
Skiing and snowboarding could be ideal Friday through Christmas Day. The roads are plowed, there’s a forecast of sunshine, and many ski resorts will have considerable terrain open.
“Tis the season to be jolly and we sure have a lot to celebrate with the start to the ski season well before the holidays,” president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority Carol Chaplin said last week.
Many of Tahoe’s 13 ski resorts have received between 134-181 inches of snow to date and are close to having 100 percent of lifts/trails open for the 2022-23 season. As result, the Sierra snowpack is at 194 percent of normal for this time of year.
HIGHEST TAHOE SNOW TOTALS
- Boreal: 181 inches
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: 167 inches
- Palisades: 163 inches
- Sugar Bowl: 155 inches
- Mt. Rose: 151 inches
- Northstar: 147 inches
- Homewood: 136 inches
- Kirkwood: 134 inches
- Heavenly: 121 inches
SANTA ON THE SLOPES: At several Tahoe ski resorts the next few days, a few turns with Santa Claus is possible. Several resorts have Santa on the mountain and available to skiers and snowboarders.
Also, this time of year, Tahoe ski resorts are known for having many skiers and riders dressed in Santa outfits and hitting the slopes during the Christmas holidays. This year should be no different.
NEW HEAVENLY LIFT: Earlier this week the North Bowl lift opened for the first time. The new high-speed, four-person lift is an upgrade from the former triple chair. It is expected to increase uphill capacity on the Stagecoach and Olympic lifts by more than 40 percent and reduce ride and wait times while providing better access to underutilized terrain.
The project took a little over a year from approval to begin loading for skiers and riders.
“We’re beyond excited for all of our other guests to experience this for the first time,” said Tom Fortune, VP and COO of Heavenly and the two other Vail Resorts in Tahoe. “It is a game changer for our mountain.”
