More snow storms in March definitely added to the snowpack in the Lake Tahoe region, prompting many ski resorts to announce there would be plenty of skiing and snowboarding available in April and beyond.
Neighboring Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows announced recently that they would offer the longest ski season in the Tahoe region, with skiing and riding through Memorial Day on May 30 – conditions and weather permitting.
Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe will remain open until Sunday, May 8, thanks to its high base elevation starting at 8,260 feet, plus the 371 inches it has received this season.
The three Vail Resorts – Northstar California, Heavenly and Kirkwood – will all remain open until Sunday, April 17. Also staying open until April 17 is Diamond Peak – a full week longer than originally planned.
Mt. Rose plans to continue daily operations until April 24, then switch to Thursday through Sunday operations for the final two weeks of the season.
“Mother Nature came back in a big way this season, and (we) are still enjoying mid-winter conditions on the mountain,” said Mike Pierce, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe’s marketing director, in a written statement to the Sacramento Bee. “The skiing and riding is so great, we’ve decided to extend the season into May, pushing the ski season to over six months and making this the longest season in Mt. Rose’s history.”
Kirkwood has reported a season total of 440 inches and Heavenly has 323 inches. The season average for Kirkwood prior to the start of the drought four years ago was 550 inches. But there are no complaints regarding this year’s snow totals.
“We’ve had a really good season at Kirkwood, Heavenly and Northstar,” Cooper said. “We’ve seen a lot of happy skiers and riders return.”
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffweidel and visit his website at www.tahoeskiworld.com.
