The snow didn’t arrive with quite the vengeance that was being predicted by weather forecasters, but the snow totals were still high Friday morning at Tahoe ski resorts.
Mt. Rose, Sugar Bowl and Homewood ski resorts were all reporting 20 inches of fresh snow at their summit locations. The 10 other Tahoe ski resorts received totals between 10-17 inches by morning and the snow is expected to continue to come down hard throughout the day.
SEE TAHOE SNOW REPORT BELOW
Weather prognosticators say the Tahoe region will have snow accumulations between 2 and 4 feet, with 4 to 8 feet of snow expected above 7,000 feet when the snow likely subsides Sunday morning (March 3).
A blizzard warning will be in effect through Sunday.
Despite the heavy snowfall, high winds and whiteout conditions, four Tahoe ski resorts – Heavenly, Diamond Peak, Northstar, Granlibakken – were open Friday morning.
HEAVENLY: The South Lake Tahoe ski resort got 10 inches of new snow. The following lifts were running at 9 am: Gunbarrel, Tram, First Ride, Powderbowl, Patsys, Groove, Canyon, Stagecoach, Olympic, Boulder, North Bowl. Around 11 am, the resort announced that North Bowl and Olympic chairs were on wind hold.
The Gondola and its accessed lifts and facilities are closed for the day
DIAMOND PEAK: Due to its location, Diamond Peak is getting a number of skiers and riders Friday who typically visit other Tahoe ski resorts. The resort was reporting 10 inches of new snow Friday.
Diamond Peak is a resort that is often able to remain open when most Tahoe ski resorts are closed. Located in Incline Village, the resort is wind protected because it has lots of trees to help block some of the worst of the winds. It’s also devoid of any terrain where avalanche danger is a concern.
NORTHSTAR: Located off Highway 267 in Truckee, the resort announced its lifts and terrain would be limited due to high winds and snowfall. Big Springs Gondola, Arrow and Vista were the first to open, followed by Comstock and the Big Easy.
GRANLIBAKKEN: A family-friendly ski-sled hill off Highway 89 in Tahoe City, Granlibakken was reporting 14 inches of fresh snow and full operations Friday. Lessons were available along with its popular sled hill.
NINE TAHOE RESORTS CLOSED FRIDAY: Recognizing the severe conditions that were coming, Sierra-at-Tahoe was the first area resort to announced its closing, making the call Thursday afternoon. Eight other resorts waited until Friday morning to announce their closing.
“Buckle up Tahoe, we’re in for a wild ride,” a Sugar Bowl email stated. “We’re in the middle of a multi-day storm, and not just any storm. We’re braced for a big one.”
Sugar Bowl tried to get the resort open Friday morning, but due to increasing winds, it decided to suspend operations for the day.
With 286 inches of snow, when the storm concludes Sunday there’s no doubt Sugar Bowl will become the first Tahoe ski resort to hit the 300-inch mark for the 2023-24 season.
TREACHEROUS ROAD CONDITIONS: The road conditions are expected to be so bad for the next few days that even most Tahoe ski resorts are warning people not to drive in these horrible conditions.
Palisades Tahoe is offering this advice below regarding travel plans.
- Should I drive to Tahoe? Do not drive up to the Lake Tahoe area without checking the weather and road conditions.
- Use the CalTrans Quick Map app to check the status of roads like Interstate 80 or Highway 89
- Get gas and groceries before you enter the mountains. There is potential for the area to run out of fuel and have low grocery stock in large storm cycles when trucks cannot get up to resupply.
- Use caution when traveling on side roads. While most main arteries in North Lake Tahoe are well cleared, this will be a huge storm to recover from, and there will be a lot of work to do to dig out the side streets.
Sugar Bowl got 20 inches of new snow Friday and by Sunday its season snow total should exceed 300 inches. - Check our list of winter driving tips to help you make safe travel decisions. If you absolutely must travel, you should stock your car with water, blankets, and food, and you should carry chains.
TAHOE SNOW REPORT (March 1)
- Mt. Rose: 20 inches
- Sugar Bowl: 20 inches
- Homewood: 20 inches
- Northstar: 17 inches
- Palisades Tahoe: 17 inches
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: 15 inches
- Granlibakken: 14 inches
- Tahoe Donner: 14 inches
- Boreal: 14 inches
- Kirkwood: 12 inches
- Soda Springs: 12 inches
- Heavenly: 10 inches
- Diamond Peak: 10 inches
