One Lake Tahoe ski resort had a brief opening last weekend. But the real start to the ski season may be ignited in the next few days by a snow storm that could dump 2 feet of snow in the Tahoe region.
Following a light rain Thursday evening, heavier rain and snow will likely fall Friday night through Saturday, with a second storm coming to Lake Tahoe on Sunday.
Weather forecasters are predicting up to 2 feet of snow at elevations above 8,000 feet, and at least a foot of snow is expected in Donner and Tioga passes and other areas above 6,000 feet and higher. The storms are coming from the Gulf of Alaska.
Mt. Rose ski resort in Nevada relied on man-made snow to open one lift last Friday and Saturday, becoming the first Lake Tahoe-area ski resort to open for skiing and snowboarding for the 2017-18 season. The current forecast is getting skiers and riders excited about the upcoming ski season.
“We are so excited for the coming storms and to see the first 30 inches of snow cover the Sierra over the next few days,” said Marcie Bradley, a spokeswoman with Northstar California ski resort in Truckee, which is scheduled to open Nov. 17. “We are ecstatic to see what bounty Mother Nature brings.”
On the heels of an historic Lake Tahoe winter, South Lake Tahoe ski resorts are anxious to get going this season. Heavenly Mountain Resort is scheduled to open Nov. 17; Kirkwood Mountain Resort begins running lifts Nov. 22, and Sierra-at-Tahoe should be open by mid-November.
The early buzz is also high due to the 2018 Winter Olympics with three South Shore athletes hoping to repeat previous medal-winning success. Sierra-at-Tahoe has provided a foundation for some of the world’s top winter athletes. Olympic gold medalists Jamie Anderson, Maddie Bowman and Hannah Teter all call Sierra home and plan to compete at the Winter Olympics.
South Lake Tahoe’s appeal as a leading winter destination continues to be enhanced with more than $750 million invested in capital improvements the past three seasons.
