A major snowstorm will start Wednesday evening and could dump up to 2 feet of fresh snow on Tahoe ski resorts when it concludes Thursday night.
The powerhouse winter storm will affect the Western U.S. the next few days with widespread heavy mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno.
“In the Tahoe region, the heaviest snowfall rates are anticipated Thursday (Dec. 1) and could reach 3 inches per hour,” according to the NWS. “The combination of heavy snow and wind may bring periods of whiteout conditions. There’s also an avalanche danger from Thursday morning to Friday morning.
Mt. Rose ski resort in Nevada could get 9 to 15 inches; Alpine Meadows may receive up to 20 inches; Kirkwood could get as much as 28 inches and Donner Pass a possible 15 to 25 inches.
SECOND STORM THIS WEEKEND: Friday should be a great day for powder skiing and riding as Tahoe ski resorts scramble to open more lifts and terrain.
A second storm arrives Saturday and should last through the weekend. Officials said this snow will start Saturday morning and go through Sunday night, with the most persistent snowfall likely being Saturday night into Sunday morning.
In the Tahoe region, high temperatures for the rest of the week are expected to be around freezing or even colder in the single digits. The high temperatures through the weekend will be in the upper 30s and may not dip into the 40s.
Winds will start to pick up Saturday morning ahead of the system and peak Saturday evening, with gusts along the Sierra crest 80-plus mph. After the storms pass, the NWS says next week will begin with dry conditions and below average temps.
TAHOE SKI RESORT OPENING DATES
- Mt. Rose: Open Nov. 11
- Boreal: Open Nov. 11
- Northstar: Open Nov. 12
- Heavenly: Open Nov. 12
- Kirkwood: Open Nov. 12
- Palisades: Open Nov. 18
- Sugar Bowl: Open Nov. 25
- Soda Springs: Open Nov. 25
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: Dec. 3
- Diamond Peak: Dec. 3
- Tahoe Donner: Dec. 9
- Homewood: Dec. 16
- Granlibakken: Dec. 18
