Surprise! Up To 30 Inches of Snow Will Hit California Next Week

After a warm, dry stretch, the Sierra turns wintry from Tuesday through early Friday (March 31-April 3, 2026).

The timing of the pattern change is fairly solid, but snowfall amounts still carry real spread, especially around Tahoe. The best shot at deeper totals stays centered on Kirkwood, Palisades Tahoe, Sugar Bowl, and Mammoth, with the higher-elevation resorts holding the best edge while snow levels start high.

This looks like a two-part storm. The first push arrives late Monday night into Tuesday with denser snow, higher snow levels, and periods of strong ridge wind. A colder follow-up arrives Wednesday night into Thursday, drops snow levels, and improves quality, so Thursday should offer the better mix of fresh snow and ski quality across the range.

Keep reading for a forecast breakdown by resort. Nearly a dozen California ski resorts, including Sierra-at-Tahoe, have ended their seasons ahead of the storm. Stay tuned for news about potential reopenings.

The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.

California Ski Resort Snowfall Totals (March 31-April 3, 2026)

• Mt. Rose (NV): 5-10 inches
• Northstar: 6-12 inches
• Heavenly: 6-13 inches
• Mammoth Mountain: 10-21 inches
• Sugar Bowl: 12-24 inches
• Palisades Tahoe: 12-25 inches
• Kirkwood: 15-31 inches

Storm Timing and Discussion

The individual models are converging on the overall arrival of Sierra snowfall and stronger wind impacts from late Monday night into Tuesday, but they are still diverging on how hard the first push hits and how warm it runs.

Snow levels generally open around 7000-8500 feet, so the early part of the storm favors higher bases and upper-mountain terrain. Kirkwood looks best placed for that setup, with Mammoth also cashing in early, while the lower Tahoe bases are more exposed to a wetter start. Exposed terrain will spend part of Tuesday dealing with wind-affected snow instead of clean powder.

After a lighter stretch on Wednesday, the individual models converge again on a colder follow-up from Wednesday night into early Friday and on falling snow levels, but they still diverge on how much moisture remains once the colder air arrives and on how much ridge wind persists. Snow levels fall towards 5000-7000 feet, so quality should improve from heavy snow early in the storm to more moderate snow by Thursday, especially at Kirkwood, Palisades Tahoe, and Sugar Bowl. The second push still looks better for skiing than the warm opening round.

Confidence is highest from Tuesday, March 31, through early Friday, April 3, because the storm track and cooling trend line up better than the exact snowfall rates. Kirkwood could stack 15-31 inches by early Friday, with Palisades Tahoe around 12-25 inches, Sugar Bowl 12-24 inches, and Mammoth 10-21 inches. Northstar, Heavenly, and Mt Rose still pick up useful refreshes, but they look more sensitive to snow-level swings and wind exposure than the higher-end resorts.

Daily Chase Recommendations

Each day's snowfall range combines the previous night (4 pm-8 am) and that day (8 am-4 pm).

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Kirkwood is the top Wednesday call with 7-13 inches of heavy snow and a higher base that should handle the warm start better than the rest of Tahoe.

Mammoth is a strong Wednesday backup with 5-10 inches of moderate snow and lighter wind than Tahoe, which should help it ski cleaner through the day.

Thursday, April 2, 2026

Kirkwood stays in front Thursday with another 5-10 inches of moderate snow, and the cooler second push should ski better than Tuesday's denser start.

Palisades Tahoe gets the nod Thursday for 4-9 inches of moderate snow, though exposed upper-mountain terrain can still be wind-affected.

Extended Outlook

Snow should taper quickly after early Friday, and the period after that looks quieter in this forecast. The broader pattern still favors a cooler first week of April than the recent warm stretch, with room for more unsettled weather deeper into next week, but confidence drops after Friday because the trough can either linger long enough for another reload or shift east and leave the Sierra with a break between storms.