Palisades Tahoe Is Bracing for 50+ Inches of Snow
The long-awaited pattern change seems to be here, and with it, forecasters say, feet of snow could pummel the mountains and ski resorts across California.
A taste has already arrived this week, with the Lake Tahoe ski resort Palisades Tahoe reporting a welcome, if not extreme, snowy refresh. It comes amid a largely dry season with few powder days, which has seen the snowpack across the Sierra Nevada plunge below normal.
Thinner snow cover in the mountains can cause concerns about future wildfires and lessened water resources. More immediately, of course, skiers are anxiously awaiting better conditions.
Lucky for them, there will be much more than this week’s storm if the forecast holds.
At spots like Palisades Tahoe and Sugar Bowl, 60-plus inches of snow are expected as the cycle uncorks further early next week, according to OpenSnow, a forecasting service favored by skiers.
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Chris Segal/Palisades Tahoe
In a travel forecast targeting the Sierra Nevada, the National Weather Service’s Reno office warned that by Monday, weather conditions will degrade—or improve if you’re asking a snow-starved skier—with the snow level possibly plunging below 5,000 feet.
The agency categorized the Monday evening travel impacts as “major,” a sign that the ski commute between Lake Tahoe and the Bay Area could get messy as the long Presidents Day Weekend wraps up.
Further south, Mammoth Mountain has felt the storm's impacts more acutely. On Wednesday morning, the ski resort reported between 11 and 17 inches of snow, writing in an update, “Your best bet is to stick to the lower mountain trees for better definition and wind protection.”
To make the point clearer, the ski area shared footage of howling winds, shoveling employees, and powder plies.
"Welcome back winter," they wrote. Tap or click below to watch. Keep reading for more.
Like Lake Tahoe’s ski resorts, Mammoth Mountain is also slated for intense winter weather next week as the second round comes online, with more feet of snow falling, per OpenSnow.
Beyond California, Utah and Colorado—two states that share the need for snow—are included in the storm track.
It is, by most signals, a hype train that’s poised to pay off. Our advice? Hang on to your ski helmet. You probably won't be the only person calling in sick.