BY JEFFREY WEIDEL
The curtain comes down today (March 22) on Sugar Bowl ski resort in Lake Tahoe. A lack of snow and warm temperatures led to a somewhat shocking closure for a resort that usually keeps its lifts running well into April.
Deteriorating snow conditions at the base of Sugar Bowl and no snow in the immediate forecast prompted the decision. Situated off Interstate 80 at the Norden exit, Sugar Bowl annually gets as much or more snow than any other Lake Tahoe ski resorts.
Sugar Bowl averages 500-plus inches of snow a year. This year that total is 182. The resort has 8-10 inches at the base and 40 inches at the summit. Skiers and snowboarders will find only three lifts (Mt. Lincoln Express, Christmas Tree Express, Nob Hill) and 42 runs available today.
“We’re closing a lot earlier, three weeks before we were hoping for,” Sugar Bowl spokesperson John Monson told KCRA TV in Sacramento on Sunday morning. “With the high pressure and warm temperatures we’re not able to put the mountain together each evening for the product we want it to be the next day. Skier turnout has been low lately. With the warm temperatures, people are doing other things. So closing day is upon us.
Of course, Sugar Bowl isn’t alone. There are 22 ski resorts in California that are now closed, including eight in Lake Tahoe. The list includes Sierra-at-Tahoe, Soda Springs, Granlibakken, Homewood Mountain, Donner Ski Ranch, Tahoe Donner and Royal Gorge, a cross country resort near Sugar Bowl. Other notable closings include Dodge Ridge, Badger Pass and Mt. Shasta Ski Park.
Like all Lake Tahoe ski resorts, Sugar Bowl was delighted with the large storms in early December that gave hope for a snowy ski season. However, the snow rarely arrived after the Christmas holidays and Tahoe had its worse January snow totals in recorded history and March could be another record-setting month of lows.
The weather certainly put a damper on Sugar Bowl touting its 75th anniversary. The lack of snow kept skier visits below average overall.
“Our 75th anniversary proved to be a challenging one,” Monson said. “We still feel we’ve been able to put out a good product with our groomers. While powder hounds might not have been getting the season they wanted for expert skiing with deep snow, it turned out to be a good for families, beginners and intermediate skiers and riders.”
On its final day, Sugar Bowl skiers and riders can sit back and enjoy live music from acoustic roots rocker Chi McClean on the Village Deck from 1-4 p.m., as well as drink specials on Sugar Bowl Pale Ale in the Belt Room Bar. Almost everything in Village Ski & Sports is 50-percent off.
For more information on Sugar Bowl, visit www.sugarbowl.com.
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at [email protected]. Thanks for visiting his winter website at www.tahoeskiworld.com
