Tahoe Ski World

skiing in Lake Tahoe

Snow arriving Sunday at Tahoe ski resorts

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Tahoe ski resorts can expect up to 6 inches of snow by Monday morning, giving Christmas holiday skiers and riders a possible powder day.

Located off Interstate-80 at Donner Summit on the drive toward Lake Tahoe, Boreal Mountain is open until 9 p.m. daily.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno is calling for a quick-hitting winter storm late Sunday night into Monday morning that could bring light snow to the Tahoe region. The latest snow is expected to be the final storm hitting Tahoe ski resorts in 2019.

CHECK OUT SEASON SNOW TOTALS (below) FOR ALL 14 TAHOE RESORTS

A light snow dusting is expected mainly after 4 p.m. Sunday with heavier snow falling later that evening. The NWS is predicting 2-6 inches of snow in the eastern Sierra, including Alpine and Mono counties, with elevated amounts possible south of U.S. Highway 50 in areas like the Sweetwater and Wassuk Range.

Strong winds are expected to follow the storm Monday into Tuesday at Tahoe ski resorts. Anticipate wind chills in the mountains and rough conditions on the lake.

Skiers and snowboarders are experiencing mostly bluebird conditions Saturday (Dec. 28) with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-30s. Anticipate a mostly cloudy Sunday with temperatures in the 20s. Snow could arrive later in the day.

According to Bryan Allegretto, an OpenSnow.com California Forecaster, high pressure builds back by Tuesday through the end of next week. He is predicting sunny skies and warming temperatures for New Year’s Eve and Thursday (Jan. 1). High temperatures could warm into the 40s at lake level. Allegretto believes the next chance for snow may be the weekend of Jan. 4th, with a better chance a few days later.

What resort has the most snow in Tahoe? Sierra-at-Tahoe had a few powder days earlier this week, thanks to some storms that hit the Tahoe region prior to Christmas. Sierra, located off Highway 50 on the drive into South Lake Tahoe, has the most snow (160 inches) among the Tahoe ski resorts.

A snowboarder enjoys a recent powder day at Kirkwood, where the entire mountain is open for skiing and snowboarding.

Kirkwood Mountain is not far behind Sierra-at-Tahoe with 158 inches and Squaw Valley has 151. Eleven of Tahoe’s 14 ski resorts are reporting 100 inches or more of snow for the 2019-20 season.

Night skiing: If you’re stuck at work during the holidays or just looking for another evening option, Boreal Mountain is open until 9 p.m. daily. Boreal opens at 9 am., but does sell night-only lift tickets. Night-time hours are 3-7 p.m. Evening lift tickets can only be purchased at the resort.

SEASON SNOW TOTALS (Dec. 28)

  • Sierra-at-Tahoe: 160 inches
  • Kirkwood Mountain: 158 inches
  • Squaw Valley: 151 inches
  • Northstar California: 149 inches
  • Mt. Rose: 148 inches
  • Alpine Meadows: 145 inches
  • Sugar Bowl: 141 inches
  • Soda Springs: 138 inches
  • Boreal Mountain: 138 inches
  • Heavenly Mountain: 138 inches
  • Homewood Mountain: 115 inches
  • Diamond Peak: 83 inches
  • Tahoe Donner: NA
  • Granlibakken: NA