Despite coming off the single-most snowfall in any day this season, many pent-up Tahoe ski resorts were hoping to reopen Sunday and offer skiing and snowboarding.
It’s the March storm that keeps on giving for Lake Tahoe ski resorts. Huge snow totals being were once again being reported Sunday morning (March 3).
Most Tahoe ski resorts have received more snow in the past three days than they had accumulated in the combined months of November and December.
Four Tahoe ski resorts got more than 3 feet of snow from the blizzard conditions that lasted all day Saturday. The 3-foot club included Homewood with 42 inches. Boreal was reporting 40 inches, while both Heavenly and Soda Springs got 38 inches.
SEE TAHOE SNOW REPORT BELOW
The three-day snow totals are astonishing, Three ski resorts (Homewood, Sugar Bowl) have received 7 feet or more of snow since it began pummeling the Lake Tahoe region Thursday evening.
The storm has dropped 4-7 feet of snow and more is arriving Sunday and possibly early next week.
“Whether you were a skeptic or were prepared for snowy apocalypse, we are calling it madness or a miracle,” said a message on the Sugar Bowl website. “I think we can all agree that this storm has definitely been a doozy.”
After being closed the past two days, many Tahoe ski resorts say they will attempt to open Sunday with a delayed start. The starts vary from late morning to early afternoon.
The blizzard moved in Thursday with white-out conditions and winds reaching 200 mph forced ski resort closures throughout the Tahoe region. But today area ski resorts are optimistic they can open – at least minimally – sometime Sunday as operation crews continue their massive dig out.
But that doesn’t mean the weather conditions don’t remain treacherous. While the most extreme weather had passed by Sunday morning, dangerous conditions are expected to continue through the day.
There were nine Tahoe ski resorts that were closed both Friday and Saturday. The list of closed resorts has been reduced to five (Palisades Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Homewood, Tahoe Donner, Soda Springs) as of Sunday morning when snow was continuing to come down, although not as hard as the previous two days.
“Although we were planning to welcome skiers and riders back to the mountain Sunday, Mother Nature has decided otherwise,” a message on the Homewood website said. “Due to ongoing blizzard conditions and a power outage throughout the resort, we will remain closed Sunday.”
Among the resorts that are expected to reopen Sunday are Sugar Bowl, Boreal, Kirkwood and Mt. Rose.
ROADS REMAINI PROBLEMATIC: Travel to Tahoe is being discouraged Sunday, but there may be some windows when the roads are safe later this week, officials said.
Interstate-80: Early Sunday morning, I-80 remained closed from Colfax to the Nevada state line. The interstate has been closed to travelers since Friday night when many motorists were stranded.
Highway 50: The road going in and out of South Lake Tahoe is under chain control Sunday morning and has had several traffic holds.
Highway 88: The highway that goes to and from Kirkwood ski resort was closed in both directions Sunday morning with no opening yet determined.
HIGHWAY 431: Called the Mt. Rose Highway by locals, the mountainous road remains closed for a third straight day.
WEATHER FORECAST: According to OpenSnow.com forecaster Bryan Allegretto, the snow showers will be lighter through Sunday and should end sometime Monday morning.
The National Weather Service is forecasting moderate to heavy snowfall throughout Sunday.
“Conditions in the Sierra will be treacherous through Sunday night, with life-threatening travel conditions in snow and blowing snow,” the weather service said Sunday morning in its forecast. “Additional chances for snow showers will continue into Wednesday.”
TAHOE SNOW REPORT (March 1-3)
- Homewood: 20-27-42 – 89 inches
- Sugar Bowl: 20-32-35 – 87 inches
- Boreal: 14-30-40 – 84 inches
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: 15-40-26 – 81 inches
- Mt. Rose: 20-32-28 – 80 inches
- Soda Springs: 12-28-38 – 78 inches
- Granlibakken: 14-32-27 – 73 inches
- Palisades Tahoe: 17-24-31 – 72 inches
- Northstar: 17-27-26 – 70 inches
- Heavenly: 10-20-38 – 68 inches
- Tahoe Donner: 14-30-18 – 62 inches
- Diamond Peak: 10-30-18 – 58 inches
- Kirkwood: 12-18-21 – 51 inches
