The Abridged version:
- Heavy winter storms could bring between 4 and 8 feet of snow to the Lake Tahoe region.
- Many local ski resorts are planning their opening days on Friday and Saturday, as the snow is forecast to make way for partly sunny skies.
- The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada was at a “near-record low” before the recent storms.
Snow, snow and “snow likely” are in the forecast for the Sierra Nevada to round out the holiday week.
A white Christmas is on the horizon for the Lake Tahoe and Truckee, with winter storms that are predicted to bring up to 8 feet of snow by Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS issued a storm warning through Friday, with the area near Echo Summit expecting to see wind gusts up to 55 mph and nearly a foot of snow accumulating each day.
The sun is expected to break through by Saturday morning, with forecasts showing partly sunny weather.
Crews at Palisades Tahoe were heavily leaning on blowing snow to keep the resort open until this week. Now, the resort is expecting between 4 and 8 feet of snow
“With the snow fall it looks like we’re going to be able to go from zero to hero,” Condon said.
Crews will be working around the clock to get the slopes ready for full operations by the weekend. As of Wednesday, the heavy winds and snow fall had closed off most of the lifts and trails at Palisades Tahoe, according to the resort’s website. Conditions are expected to improve by Friday though, according to the resort.
Before the recent storm, snowpack in the Sierra Nevada had been at a “near-record low” due to a pattern of warm and wet weather, according to the NWS.
“That’s the amazing part of snow in the Sierras, is that things can change in an instant,” Condon said.
Sierra-at-Tahoe is planning on having its opening day on Saturday, weather permitting.
“Winds are expected during this storm cycle, so conditions will continue to evolve as snow totals are confirmed,” states a snow report on the resort’s website.
Slopes near Truckee are also on the cusp of opening. Sugar Bowl is expecting to reopen on Friday and Tahoe Donner could be open by Saturday.
Felicia Alvarez is a reporter at Abridged covering accountability. She’s called Sacramento home since 2015 and has reported on government, health care and breaking news topics for both local and national news outlets.