Three days of heavy snow left some staggering snow totals Friday morning at Lake Tahoe ski resorts.
Squaw Valley had the largest snow total among the Tahoe ski resorts with more than 6 feet (74) of snow over the three-day period. The famed Olympic ski resort had 21 more inches on Friday morning, giving exuberant skiers and snowboarders a fantastic powder day.
It’s already been a fantastic January for Squaw Valley with more than 11 feet (138 inches) of snow. The average January delivers 72 inches. Squaw has 237 inches for the 2018-19 season.
“We now have twice our average January snowfall, just halfway through the month. It looks like after a short break we have another storm coming in on Sunday night into Monday that could bring another foot of snow at the upper elevations,” said Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows spokesperson Liesl Hepburn.
Boreal Mountain got 27 inches by Friday morning and was reporting a three-day total of nearly six feet (70 inches) of snow. Soda Springs also received 70 inches over three days, including 27 inches of new snow Friday morning.
Nine of Lake Tahoe’s 14 ski resorts were reporting three-day totals of 50 or more inches of snow. Friday brought a much-needed break in the weather and provided a terrific powder day for skiing and snowboarding.
Sugar Bowl got another 13 inches by Friday morning and received 57 inches over the past three days. Due to the high snow totals, one of the few issues Friday was getting the lifts running. A note on the Sugar Bowl website stated – “Lift ops still may be slightly delayed opening lifts as we are still digging out.”
Due to the Mt. Rose Highway being closed, Mt. Rose ski resort never opened Thursday. However, most of the Nevada ski resort was open Friday. The Chutes was one exception – the area was closed for avalanche control. Mt. Rose reported 62 inches in the three-day period.
This week’s monster snow storms were good to the three Vail Resorts in Lake Tahoe. The storms delivered 64 inches to Northstar California, including more than a foot in the last 24 hours and a three-day total of 63 inches. Kirkwood Mountain had 42 inches over three days and Heavenly reported 26 inches.
Click here to see the snow coming down Thursday (Jan. 17) at Northstar California.
According to OpenSnow California Snow Forecaster, Bryan Allegretto, the snow tapered off by Friday morning. The local weather expert is forecasting “weather breaks Friday with scattered showers as a system moves through to the north. Saturday high pressure builds in with nice weather and highs in the 40’s and lighter winds.”
Allegretto believes another storm moves in Sunday with 4-14 inches possible on the mountains, accompanied by gusty winds. He predicts a dry pattern starting Monday (Jan. 21) through the final week of January.
KRNV TV in Reno reported that Wednesday’s blizzard warning was the fourth that’s been issued in the Lake Tahoe region since 2008 and the third since 2017.
SNOW REPORT (3-day totals)
- Alpine Meadows: 25-13-17 – 55 inches
- Boreal Mountain: 19-24-27 – 70 inches
- Diamond Peak: 12-14-14 – 40 inches
- Heavenly Mountain: 7-12-7 – 26 inches
- Granlibakken: 18-6-12 – 36 inches
- Homewood Mountain: 10-24-17 – 51 inches
- Kirkwood Mountain: 16-18-8 – 42 inches
- Mt. Rose: 22-36-4 – 62 inches
- Northstar California: 23-26-14 – 63 inches
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: 23-18-8 – 49 inches
- Soda Springs: 19-24-27 – 70 inches
- Squaw Valley: 30-23-21 – 74 inches
- Sugar Bowl: 19-25-13 – 57 inches
- Tahoe Donner: 26-11-16 – 53 inches
