The enjoyable fall weather in the Lake Tahoe region has been a blessing for many reasons. But one of the downsides is skiing. Lake Tahoe ski resorts like Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, who were expected to open Friday (Nov. 11), have pushed back their opening by nearly two weeks.
After some promising early snow totals in October, the warm November weather has been dry and the temperatures not low enough for regular snowmaking. No Tahoe-area ski resort is open yet. The only California ski resort operating right now is Mammoth Mountain, which began running its lifts Thursday. Tahoe’s larger ski resorts always hope for a pre-Thanksgiving opening to attract a crowd for the holiday weekend.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows announced that the new opening date is Wednesday, Nov. 23, weather and conditions permitting. The two resorts, which are situated practically side by side and share the same ownership group, report they had 41 feet of cumulative snowfall in the 2015-16 season. Vail Resorts – Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood – have projected openings of Nov. 18.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows has invested over $1 million in snowmaking enhancements for 2016-17, adding to a total of $9 million over six years. All teams at the resort have been working around the clock to prepare for the 2016-17 season, and the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows snowmaking system is being deployed at every opportunity.
“We are eager to kick off the season and look forward to opening the resort as early as weather and conditions permit,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings. “Setting an early opening date assured that we are fully prepared for the 2016-17 season, and we have already seen some impressive snowfall totals. Our staff has done an incredible job gearing up for the season and, with help from Mother Nature, we look forward to opening the lifts on November 23 or as early as possible, as conditions allow.”
With 317 snowmaking guns and a fully automated system at Squaw Valley, the resort can produce nine times as much as snow as it could 10 years ago. At Alpine Meadows, improvements to snowmaking infrastructure on Kangaroo Run will benefit guests and ski racers who frequently utilize the run for training. At Squaw Valley, investments include three new SMI fan guns, 12 HKD low energy guns, replacement of air and water pipelines, and upgrades to 102 automatic snowmaking hydrants, allowing the system to go online at high speeds. These enhancements reduce the communication time from the hydrant to the snowmaking pump house from minutes to seconds.
“We have been hard at work testing our equipment and are ready to make snow whenever temperatures in the region allow,” said Mark Meyer, Squaw Valley Snowmaking Manager. “I am extremely confident in our team and the investments that have been made in our system: once we get the temperatures we will be making snow around the clock to prepare to welcome our 2016-17 guests.”
Tentative Lake Tahoe Opening Dates
- Northstar: Nov. 18
- Heavenly: Nov. 18
- Kirkwood: Nov. 18
- Squaw Valley: Nov. 23
- Alpine Meadows: Nov. 23
- Homewood: Dec. 9
- Sugar Bowl: Dec. 10
- Diamond Peak: Dec. 1
- Mt. Rose: TBA
- Boreal Mountain: TBA
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: TBA
- Tahoe Donner: TBA
- Soda Springs: TBA
- Donner Ski Ranch: TBA
- Granlibakken: TBA
