The three Vail Resorts in Lake Tahoe – Northstar California, Heavenly Mountain, Kirkwood Mountain – are all reporting tremendous snow totals for the 2016-17 ski season.
That comes as no surprise, considering the large storms that have descended on the Tahoe region, especially in January. All three Vail Resorts have already exceeded their season-average snow totals. And it’s only mid-February.
“What a winter we are having here in Lake Tahoe, both on the South Shore and regionally,” said Vail Resorts spokesperson Kevin Cooper. “Mother Nature keeps providing an amazing base and fantastic skiing and riding conditions. We are on pace for a record year with snowfall totals from lake level to the Sierra Crest. It’s quite amazing.”
Cooper, who calls Kirkwood home base, made those comments Wednesday afternoon. Last night the three Vail Resorts got more snow and the forecast is calling for snow through much of next week in the Lake Tahoe region.
Northstar California: The ski resort off Highway 267 in Truckee is coming off its snowiest month ever in January when it received 285 inches of snow, nearly 24 feet. The year-to-date (as of Feb. 15) total is 468 inches, exceeding its average annual total of 350 inches.
The current total is the deepest snowpack in 22 years.
Heavenly Mountain: The iconic South Lake Tahoe ski resort was reporting season totals of 464 inches Feb. 15. That surpasses the yearly average of 350 inches.Like other Lake Tahoe ski resorts, January was a huge month for Heavenly when a series of storms resulted in 304 inches. Thus far, February has brought 82 inches.
Kirkwood Mountain: Storms kept arriving at the ski resort off Highway 88, resulting in numerous January powder days. Kirkwood has received 501 inches and is far ahead of its season average of 365 inches.
Prior to the recent drought, Kirkwood was typically getting 500-plus inches a year, but the total was considerably less the past few years. The January total this year for Kirkwood was 295 inches and the resort is reporting this month’s totals were 99 inches as of Feb. 15.
