A snowboarder shreds on a virgin slope on a bluebird day out of Alpine Meadows at Lake Tahoe
© Ben ArnstA snowboarder shreds on a virgin slope on a bluebird day out of Alpine Meadows at Lake Tahoe
In advance of the Christmas-New Year's holiday, Kirkwood and Mount Rose became the first major ski areas in the Tahoe region this week to open 100% of their terrain. At the same time, top-to-bottom skiing, along with vast new scopes of runs and acreage, is being unveiled at many ski areas for the weekend across the High Sierra.

It comes in time for Christmas, answering the wishes of thousands of skiers, boarders and vacationers who plan to head to snow country for the holidays.

"It'll be a snow-filled holiday here in Tahoe," said Russell Carlton of Vail Resorts, which operates Kirkwood, Heavenly and Northstar ski resorts. "Each of our ski areas have received more than 10 feet of snow this season, including nearly 8 feet of snow in December alone at Kirkwood and Northstar."

At Kirkwood, located near Carson Pass on Highway 88 about an hour south of South Lake Tahoe, 12 of 12 lifts are up and running for access to 2,400 acres of terrain.

Mount Rose, located on the Nevada side of Tahoe outside of Reno, has counted 134 inches, or more than 11 feet, of snowfall for the season, and is also expected to have 100% of its operation open for the weekend.


Freezing nights this week also have allowed ski areas to crank up their snowmaking operations and add to the recent storm totals. Snow cats then spread out the piles of snow to refresh the surfaces of runs, and then groom it into a corduroy-like surface for skiers and boarders.

After an expected light snowfall over the weekend, Michael Pechner of Golden West Meteorology said the outlook calls for a chance of a bigger event, 1 to 3 feet of light sugarlike snow, which could arrive during the holidays.

"It's too early to say this is a sure thing, but most of the models right now are showing a weather system from the Gulf of Alaska headed for Northern California," Pechner said. "The forecast model shows a snow level dropping to about 3,000 feet and with around 2 to 3 feet of light dry powder, at least 12 inches at Lake Tahoe, 24 inches at Sugar Bowl and Donner Ski Ranch (both near Truckee) and 36 inches atop KT-22 at Squaw" near Tahoe City. The event is too far out for precise timing, he said.

(Read more here)