Cold temperatures have descended on Tahoe ski resorts this week. And that means snowmaking has commenced.
Cold temperatures and dry air have created ideal conditions for making snow in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Vail Resorts’ three Tahoe properties – Heavenly Mountain, Northstar California, Kirkwood Mountain – all plan to take advantage of this week’s cool weather window to build a solid base for the upcoming 2020-21 winter season.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and Mt. Rose ski resort in nearby Nevada have also begun snowmaking operations.
Heavenly and Northstar turned on their snowmaking machines Sunday, activating what they describe as the largest snowmaking system on the West Coast. Kirkwood’s sophisticated snowmaking systems are set to kick in later this week, conditions permitting.
Using the latest computer technology, snowmaking operators are monitoring changes in air temperature, water pressure and wind direction. Snowmaking crews at Heavenly and Northstar are alerted instantly of these changes and are able to quickly turn on or off machines from their cell phones or computers to optimally prepare resorts for upcoming opening days.
The start of snowmaking is a reminder that opening day at all three resorts, which it calls the TahoeTrifecta, are right around the corner. Heavenly and Northstar are scheduled to open Friday, Nov. 20 and Kirkwood is slated to open on Friday, Dec. 4. All openings are weather dependent.
Together the three resorts offer skiers and riders access to over 10,000 acres of unparalleled terrain with stunning views of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada. Resorts typically remain open through April. Each resort will continue to expand and open terrain as conditions allow.
Access to the mountains will be managed through an online reservation system to ensure guests have the space they need. Additionally, face coverings and physical distancing will be required.
MT. ROSE: Even though the popular Nevada ski resort near North Lake Tahoe has begun making snow, don’t expect to be skiing or snowboarding there in October.
Traditionally, the first Tahoe ski resort to open has been Mt. Rose. It has been the first resort to start running its lifts the previous four seasons, including last year’s opener Oct. 25. It was the earliest Mt. Rose has ever opened for skiing and snowboarding. The previous best was Oct. 26, 2017.
“Our opening plan is to be skiing from to the top on day one in order to spread crowds out,” Mt. Rose spokesperson Mike Pierce said. “This means that we’ll need to have several trails open and significantly more coverage than in years past. The reality is that an October opening day is doubtful with mid-November much more likely.
Last season, the resort invested $1.5 million in on-mountain improvements like major snowmaking machines and the resort’s new ticketing and lift gate system.
SQUAW-ALPINE: With less than a month to go until Opening Day (Nov. 25), the Squaw-Alpine snowmaking team is covering their lower mountain slopes with manmade snow.
At Squaw, snowmaking can be seen in the base area and off the Red Dog, Squaw Creek, SnoVentures and Exhibition chairlifts.
At Alpine, snow is being laid down on trails like Weasel, under the Treeline Cirque chairlift. Snowmakers are out on the hill as early as 2 a.m., and Sunday night temperatures dropped to 15 degrees.
Visit the ski resort website’s Winter Experience page – www.squawalpine.com/2020-21-winter-experience – to get an idea of what to expect when they arrive at the resort.
Guests should note that we are temporarily eliminating the sale of “walk-up” lift tickets, as well as all weekend day tickets, in order to control visitation to the resort without requiring reservations. The best way to access the mountain this winter will be to have an Ikon Pass, or to buy your tickets online in advance.
