The ski season may not end for Squaw Valley. The famed Lake Tahoe resort is considering staying open, thanks to its monumental snowpack.
Following more snow over the past few days, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows now has 705 inches of snow for the 2016-17 season. This has led Squaw Valley CEO Andy Wirth to contemplate keeping the lifts running for skiing and snowboarding.
“I’m actually considering staying open through the summer and fall so it becomes the 2016-17-18 season,” Wirth told KTKE radio in Truckee this week. “We’re taking a hard look at that. Maybe we spin Shirley Lake (chairlift) through the summer. There’s so much snow up there. It’s been an incredible winter – unprecedented.”
The season was already going to be an extremely long one for Squaw Valley. While Alpine Meadows stops running lifts every day of the week after April 30, and goes to weekends only through May 14, Squaw is committed to offering skiing and riding through May, possibly moving to weekends only in June, and finally shutting down for good on Fourth of July. The only other Tahoe resort to stay open after April is Mount Rose, which is scheduled to shut down Memorial Day (May 30).
Squaw has a history of staying open into the summer. The last time it happened was July for the 2010-11 season. That year, the resort closed in June, but reopened for Fourth of July. This season would be the fourth time in its history that the Squaw has operated on July 4.
Squaw has a current base depth of 256 inches (more than 21 feet) on the upper mountain.
“While nothing is confirmed, Squaw Valley is exploring the possibility of continuing operations after the Fourth of July,” said Squaw Alpine spokesperson Sam Kieckhefer. “Regardless (of when it closes), Squaw Valley plans to again host Tahoe’s longest season with skiing and riding into June and on July 4, weather and conditions permitting.”
It’s been a crazy season of one snow storm after another, especially in January and February when huge storms bombarded the Lake Tahoe region on a regular basis. The 700-inch club includes Sugar Bowl (782), Mt. Rose (761), Boreal Mountain (742), Northstar California (708) and Squaw Valley (705).
Among the resorts setting season records for snowfall are Northstar, Heavenly Mountain, Diamond Peak and Mount Rose.
Although there is still plenty of snow and interest in skiing and snowboarding remains, three Lake Tahoe ski resorts – Homewood Mountain, Kirkwood Mountain, Tahoe Donner – closed Sunday (April 16). Two more ski resorts – Donner Ski Ranch, Granlibakken – stopped running their lifts Monday.
This Sunday (April 23) six more ski resorts – Soda Springs, Sugar Bowl, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Diamond Peak, Northstar California, Boreal Mountain – are scheduled to pull down the curtain on the 2016-17 season as well.
Closing dates for Lake Tahoe resorts.
- Homewood: April 16
- Kirkwood Mountain: April 16
- Tahoe Donner: April 16
- Donner Ski Ranch: April 17
- Granlibakken: April 17
- Soda Springs: April 23
- Sugar Bowl: April 23
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: April 23
- Diamond Peak: April 23
- Northstar: April 23
- Boreal Mountain: April 23
- Heavenly Mountain: April 30
- Mount Rose: May 29
- Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows: July 4
