With snow reduced to a manageable level and area roads open again Thursday, several Lake Tahoe ski resorts were able to offer skiing and snowboarding again.
The massive amount of snow that fell over the previous five days had blocked roads and made conditions unsafe for travelers, forcing every Lake Tahoe ski resort to close for at least a couple of days, leading to frustration for skiers and riders who were anxious to hit the slopes.
Obviously too much of a good thing is not always good. That was certainly the case for Lake Tahoe ski resorts, where many of them received 12 feet or more of snow since Saturday. The extreme conditions, which were blizzard-like Monday, played havoc with area roads.
While the region was getting pummeled with both rain and snow, its major corridors – Interstate 80, Highway 50, Highway 88, Mt. Rose Highway – were all shut down for large portions of time. All the highways were open Thursday with the exception of Highway 88 near Kirkwood Mountain.
Among the resorts open today was Sugar Bowl. After the mega storm that moved through the Lake Tahoe region, Sugar Bowl resumed operations Thursday. The lifts that were available included Jerome, Disney, Nob Hill and Christmas Tree. The resort expects to expand terrain to 100-percent by the weekend as they dig out from the storm and open Mt. Lincoln, Judah and Crow’s Peak lifts.
Sugar Bowl is reporting a storm total of 103 inches and has received 15.9 feet of snow in January. Season-to-date, Sugar Bowl has received 333 inches of snow at the summit and 212 inches at the base area. On average, the resort receives 500 inches of snowfall annually.
Among the resorts reportedly running lifts Thursday were Sierra-at-Tahoe, Heavenly Mountain, Northstar, Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley. Many resorts were expecting an additional 5-10 inches of snow Thursday
With some partly sunny days ahead, Lake Tahoe ski resorts were looking for a huge turnout of skiers and snowboarders for the three-day Martin Luther King holiday.
According to Snow Forecaster Bryan Allegretto, it will be partly sunny and cold Friday with temperature highs in the 20s. It will be sunny and milder over the weekend with highs in the 30s to near 40 degrees at lake level through Monday.
“I can’t remember getting this much snow before a three-day weekend,” Allegretto said.
However, the weather is expected to change by Tuesday when light rain and snow showers move in ahead of the next storm. Due to higher temperatures than normal, snow levels may start off around 8,000 feet Tuesday. Allegretto is predicting that a strong storm moves in Wednesday with snow levels possibly rising to 9,000 feet before falling Wednesday night into Thursday. A few feet of snow could result from this storm.
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