Due to an abundance of late snow, Palisades Tahoe ski resort has once again extended its closing date, moving it back to May 30.
Following three dismal months of snow totals at Tahoe ski resorts, April has become a blockbuster of a month when it comes to snowfall.
In April, 86 inches of new snow fell on the Palisades upper mountain, more snow than accumulated in November, January, February and March combined.
Pushing back its closing date to Memorial Day Weekend insures Palisades Tahoe to once again offer the longest skiing and snowboarding seasons among Tahoe ski resorts.
Following this week, Palisades is moving to weekends only – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until its May 30th closing.
After Sunday (May 1), Palisades will be the only Tahoe ski resort still open. A month ago, Kirkwood ski resort announced it would push back its closing date to May 1.
Mammoth Mountain is the only other California ski resort that is currently running its lifts. Located on California’s Eastern Sierra range, approximately 50 minutes from the Eastern Gate of Yosemite National Park, Mammoth will also be open through May 30.
Lifts at Palisades will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during May, but if the resort begins to see significant snow melt, it may shift hours to 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Season passes from other resorts can be used at Palisades for a discounted lift ticket until closing day. Moving forward, Palisades will be posting an operations blog between Tuesday and Thursday each week with information on what to expect for that weekend.
Note that the Alpine Meadows side of Palisades has already closed for the season.
LIFT & TERRAIN UPDATES: The Palisades team will be trying to keep as much terrain open for as long as possible this season.
- Skiers and snowboarders will still be able to ski to the base area via Mountain Run through Sunday (May 1), but that trail may not make it to the following weekend, when skiers and riders will need to come down the mountain via the Funitel or Aerial Tram.
- Granite Chief and Siberia will likely remain on schedule through May 8, but Siberia Ridge is losing snow quickly.
- Belmont Terrain Park will remain open through May 1. However, Gold Coast Terrain Park will stay open as long as possible. New medium-size features will be added to the park soon.
- Reverse Traverse is currently open, but the KT-22 chairlift and terrain are closed.
In April, 86 inches of new snow fell on the Palisades upper mountain, more snow than accumulated in November, January, February and March combined.
For up-to-date information on terrain offerings, check the frequently updated operations blog, and follow our Mountain Operations Twitter.
THEME WEEKENDS: For some additional fun over the next month, celebrate the extended spring skiing by wearing a creative costume while you ski and ride.
Theme weekends are as follows:
- April 30-May 1: Denim – Carve it up in Canadian tuxedos
- May 6-8: Wig out on the Wiggle – Wear your favorite wig while you ski down one of the many wiggle tracks on the mountain.
- May 13-15: Rodeo – No better way to say summer is here than with cowboy hats and cutoffs.
- May 20-22: Surf’s Up – Pop on your board trunks and bikinis to surf the slush.
- May 27-30: USA – Break out the red, white and blue for a patriotic Memorial Day Weekend
TAHOE SKI RESORT CLOSING DATES
- Palisades: May 30
- Kirkwood: May 1
- Heavenly: April 24
- Sugar Bowl: April 17
- Alpine Meadows: April 17
- Northstar: April 17
- Mt. Rose: April 17
- Granlibakken: April 17
- Boreal: 4 inches, April 17
- Soda Springs: April 17
- Tahoe Donner: April 10
- Diamond Peak: April 10
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: April 10
- Homewood: April 10