Lake Tahoe ski resorts are still waiting for their first big storm to create that irresistible urge for skiers and snowboarders to regularly start heading to the Sierra.
The first snow in several weeks arrived Tuesday evening and continued into the morning hours. However, there was only a modest amount of snow created by Mother Nature.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows was happier than most Lake Tahoe ski resorts, thanks to 5 inches of new snow. The resort has 20 of the its 27 lifts running, providing access to 47 trails. Squaw Alpine has more than 1,000 skiable acres open between the two resorts.
Squaw Valley reports that it has more runs open at this time of year than during last year’s record-breaking season of snow. In the 2016-17 season, Lake Tahoe ski resorts had eight of the top-10 snow totals in North America.
“We received 5 inches of snow overnight and are in excellent shape heading into the holidays, with top to bottom skiing at both mountains,” Squaw Alpine spokesman Liesl Hepburn told the Sacramento Bee.
The three Vail Resorts in Lake Tahoe weren’t as fortunate, yet still were feeling good about the amount of terrain they will have available for the start of the Christmas holidays. Both Heavenly Mountain and Kirkwood Mountain received 1 inch of new snow, while Northstar California got 2 inches.
To accommodate the glut of skiers and riders for the holidays, Heavenly plans on opening its California side for the first time on Dec. 23.
Northstar currently has 11 lifts and 35 trails open. The resort’s coveted upper Martis area opened Wednesday.
The first Lake Tahoe ski resort to open this season, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe received 3-4 inches from this week’s snow. For the season it has 56 inches at its base and 72 inches at the summit. Located off Mt. Rose Highway in Nevada, the resort has seven of eight lifts operating, providing access to all but four trails, and all three terrain parks.
On Tuesday, December 26 at 10 a.m., Mt. Rose will host the grand opening celebration of MAGIC, a modern, first-of-its-kind in North America dual conveyor surface lift in an enclosed gallery. One of the resort’s major projects over the summer, MAGIC offers beginners and children unprecedented access to Mt. Rose’s learning terrain and protection from the elements. The resort is also celebrating the fact that nearly all of its terrain is open ahead of the holiday season.
“The opening of our new conveyor lift is exciting in that this lift provides beginners of all ages with a more enjoyable experience, particularly when weather systems are moving through the region,” said Mike Pierce, director of marketing at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. “The enclosure will also allow our team to offer a more consistent operation of this key learning area, without the need to regularly dig the lift out following storm cycles.”
Lake Tahoe temperatures are expected to be unseasonably cold over the next several days. It’s perfect weather to make more snow. However, no snow is in the immediate forecast.
Projected Lake Tahoe
ski resort openings
- Mt Rose: Open
- Boreal Mountain: Open
- Heavenly Mountain: Open
- Squaw Alpine: Open
- Kirkwood Mountain: Open
- Northstar California: Open
- Sugar Bowl: Open
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: Open
- Tahoe Donner downhill: Open
- Diamond Peak: Open
- Homewood Mountain: Open
- Granlibakken: Open
- Donner Ski Ranch: TBA
- Soda Springs: TBA
