Lake Tahoe ski resorts Heavenly and Northstar to open this Saturday
UPDATE: As storms continue to drop feet of snow in the Sierra, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows are latest Tahoe ski resorts to announce early season starts.
***
Lake Tahoe ski resorts Heavenly and Northstar will launch their 2015-16 ski and snowboard season this Saturday, six days ahead of schedule, thanks to recent winter storms. This is the earliest the resorts have opened since 2012, officials said.
“We’ve already received about three feet of snow overall this season which, combined with around-the-clock operation from the West Coast’s two largest snowmaking systems, has created a great early-season base and the best snow surface conditions at Lake Tahoe,” said Pete Sonntag, Tahoe region vice president and chief operating officer.
Mt. Rose was the first resort to open for the season on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Boreal Mountain opened Friday. Meanwhile, Kirkwood received 18 inches of new snow overnight Sunday into Monday morning at its summit. Resort officials have not decided yet if thy plan to open Kirkwood prior to its Nov. 21 scheduled opening date.
Sierra-at-Tahoe resort has received 6 to 8 inches of new snow as of Monday afternoon, with more on the way with the second system arriving this afternoon. Resort spokeswoman Thea Hardy said an opening date has not been determined yet but the recent storms certainly add to the excitement.
"We're certainly thrilled to see some early season snow in November. Historically we open in the beginning of December but these storms could allow us to open as early as Thanksgiving, conditions permitting," said Hardy.
This is the earliest Heavenly and Northstar have opened since 2012, and the first time opening six days ahead of schedule since at least 2009. Heavenly plans to operate the Gondola, Tamarack Express and Dipper Express, accessing upper California Trail and Orion’s, which, at over a mile long, will be the longest run available in the Tahoe basin.
Northstar will open top-to-bottom, spinning the Big Springs Gondola, Vista Express, Arrow Express and Comstock Express accessing West Ridge, Luggi’s, Skid, Pinball, Lumberjack and Lower Main Street. Northstar will also operate a surface lift near the Big Easy Chair to offer children’s ski and snowboard lessons.
Snow continues to fall in the Sierra Monday afternoon and will continue through early Tuesday morning. When all is said and done the resorts could receive up to a foot or more of new snow, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.
- Afternoon
- Alpine
- California
- december
- Fall
- FRIDAY
- Lake
- Latest
- lessons
- Morning
- mountain
- mt rose
- National Weather Service
- new
- opening
- Outdoors
- President
- Prior
- run
- saturday
- Schedule
- service
- Sierra
- Sierra-at-Tahoe
- Ski
- ski resorts
- Snow
- snowboard
- storms
- tahoe
- Thanks
- Thanks.....
- thanksgiving
- weather
- weather service
- Wednesday
- Winter
- Comstock
- Lake Tahoe
- reno