This weekend a powerful storm powered its way through the Sierra leaving more thansix feet of new snow at the higher elevations. Another two feet is expected to fall by tomorrow night, and to top it off skies are supposed to clear just in time for a sunny holiday weekend.
That news has ski resorts in Tahoe ramping up those lift chairs. Several are already open, with the rest powering forward to get open by the holiday weekend. No snow making machines needed.
North Lake Tahoe Resort Association Tourism Director Andy Chapman called it "the perfect storm."
"It came in fast, dropped a ton of snow, setting us up with superior snow conditions and skiing for the holiday weekend. Skiing and boarding at Thanksgiving is what Lake Tahoe is all about," Chapman said.
Here's who is up and running already:
- Heavenly
- Boreal Mountain Resort
- Mt. Rose
- Ski Tahoe
- Northstar-at-Tahoe
- Squaw Valley USA.
Bear Valley announced Monday it will open Friday and they will sell lift tickets half off.
Alpine Meadows will also open Friday. Alpine says it received 56-inches of new snow at its base lodge (elevation 6835’) and 77-inches at mid-mountain (elevation 7500’). They say that already made the November 2010 snow accumulation the largest for the month in more than a decade. And more snow is in the forecast.
Tahoe snow mobile companies are opening early as well. Zephyr Cove resort will be up and running it's motorcycle on snow starting Dec. 1.
