After a day of calm weather, winter has returned to Lake Tahoe ski resorts Friday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno says a winter storm moved into the area and could dump as much as 18 inches of snow above elevations of 7,000 feet. This comes on the heels of storms earlier in the week that dumped up to a foot of snow at several Lake Tahoe ski resorts.
A winter advisory is in effect from 7 a.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Saturday. The heaviest snow is expected to fall along the west end of Highway 89 in North Lake Tahoe. Snow started Friday at the lake level before rising to 6,500 feet during the day. It will revert back to lake level Friday night.
“Snow will spread into the Tahoe Basin early this (Friday) morning and continue through tonight,” according to NWS. “The most intense snowfall will occur in the afternoon and evening.”
Kirkwood Mountain reported 18 inches in seven days and Heavenly Mountain recorded 9 inches. It’s been a huge season for snow totals at all Lake Tahoe resorts. Both Heavenly and Kirkwood surpassed the 600-inch mark in early March.
Mt. Rose closing in on 700 inches: Winter is far from over in the Northern Sierra, leaving another 13 inches of fresh snow on top of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe’s nearly 18-foot base. Mt Rose is nearing the 700-inch mark for the season, with 691 inches of snow since the beginning of the season. The Nevada resort near North Lake Tahoe says it will have lifts running through Memorial Day.
In late February, Mt. Rose had recorded the highest snow total (650 inches) of any ski resort in North America.
Thanks to its high base area elevation of 8,26 feet, Mt. Rose has average base depths at 212 inches on the mountain. All lifts and trails are open as weather and conditions permit, with skiers and riders enjoying mid-winter conditions across the entire mountain.
“This season just won’t quit, and we can’t say we’re not happy about it,” said Mike Pierce, director of marketing at Mt. Rose. “The conditions have been phenomenal, and by purchasing our Spring Plus pass you can ski or ride the rest of this season with more than two months left – plus all of the 2017-18 winter season.”
Valid seven days per week with no blackouts this season or next, the Spring Plus Premier Pass offers value for those who want the flexibility of being able to ski or ride any day of the season. The Spring Plus Premier Pass is available for $695 for adults ages 24+, $495 for young adults ages 16-23, and $395 for children ages 6-15. The Spring Plus Midweek Pass is valid Monday through Friday, excluding December 25-29, 2017, January 15, 2018 and February 19, 2018, and is priced at $595 for any age.
Below are scheduled closing dates for Lake Tahoe resorts
- Tahoe Donner: April 9
- Soda Springs: April 9
- Homewood: April 16
- Kirkwood Mountain: April 16
- Boreal Mountain: April 16
- Donner Ski Ranch: April 17
- Granlibakken: April 17
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: April 23
- Sugar Bowl: April 23
- Diamond Peak: April 23
- Northstar: April 23
- Heavenly Mountain: April 30
- Mt. Rose: May 29
- Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows: July 4
