Where to ride in Tahoe?

B

bananetheman

New member
I'm going to the Tahoe region at the end of this month for one week. Looks like Heavenly and Kirkwood got the most of the last snowfall.

I'm looking for pow and lots of it, where should i go?

Thanks
 
Tahoe isn't the easiest place to "plan for pow" -- big dump, then perhaps nothing for weeks at a time, big dump etc. However, there's reason to be optimistic if you glance at the long-range GFS (two weeks out), but that's a ways away. And there appears to be more certain precip coming this weekend into next.

Snowforecast.com just missed for Kirkwood. Where'd that 18" go? But here's its Jan. outlook: "Powerful and large scale (large area affected generally speaking) low pressure dominates the west most of next week, and mainly late next week and next weekend (20th - 22nd) with heavy snow. With this colder low pressure we expect snow levels to not be an issue any more. We should probably see the coldest temperatures of the season next week. We look busy with storms through late January, so the following week looks busy also...time to get some pow days in."
 
Most of the Sierra storms have been fairly warm, so the difference between high and low elevation coverage and conditions is more extreme than normal this year. The best evidence of the rain vs. snow elevation issue is Squaw Valley's season snowfall of 155 inches at 8,200 ft. vs. only 61 at 6,200 ft. Lower snowfall is 39% of upper vs. normal of 60%. And Mammoth (239 inches) is ahead of everyone at Tahoe, also due to extra elevation/less rain and also not normal.

Based upon quality of ski terrain there is much more at North Shore than South, so in January/February I would normally advise advanced skiers to base there. But not this year. The rule of thumb is: stay over 8,000 feet. Mt. Rose is worth a look as it's high enough and the chutes are open.

You should watch weather closely. One big dump could get everything well covered, and if that happens you will want to hit Squaw/Alpine/Sugar Bowl.
 
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