TAHOE/TRUCKEE
It’s no secret Tahoe is having a snowless December. Typically, area ski resorts open in November, but the sparse snow cover this year has paused operations.
Palisades delayed its targeted opening of Nov. 26. While Sugar Bowl opened this month, it has now temporarily closed. Boreal also suspended operations from Dec. 19 to 22, while Diamond Peak just kicked off operations on Dec. 19. Mt. Rose, which opened on Nov. 21, has “weathered” the conditions due to its high base elevation, according to its marketing director, Mike Pierce.
A colder storm is expected to bring snow to Tahoe on Christmas Eve. Weather forecaster OpenSnow predicts rain turning to snow from Dec. 24, lasting through the 26.
According to UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, the accumulated snowfall as of Dec. 18 was barely more than 22 inches. By comparison, from 1991 to 2020, the median snowfall fell at almost 72 inches by the same date.
And it’s not just the resorts taking a hit from the meager coverage.
“On the immediate front, we’ve had to cancel quite a few courses and guided tours, and unfortunately this translates to lost revenue for the business. Most of all, this means lost income for our staff,” said Logan Talbott, chief guide at Alpenglow Expeditions. “This is true across all workers and businesses that directly or indirectly rely on our winter snowpack to earn a living, and it’s just the unfortunate reality of the industry we are in.”
While many locals recall past snowless Decembers, the outdoor industry depends on the weather.
“We are definitely feeling the significant impact of the poor start to the winter season,” said Trevor Larkins, owner of West Shore Sports. “For the time being, we have had to cut both our overall business hours and employee hours to manage costs. We are keeping our fingers crossed for a snowy holiday season.”
Ski resorts and shops alike are facing staffing challenges — except the issue is an abundance of workers with not enough work. Many students who came to the U.S. on a J-1 visa (which promotes cultural exchanges for scholars, professors, and visitors) have been unable to work with the limited openings at the ski resorts they were contracted for. Reportedly, many resorts had to cancel their contracts.
“We also made the decision to cancel J-1’s who had later start dates, with limited exceptions for roles critical to current operations,” said Patrick Lacey, Palisades’ public relations manager. “This was done to avoid bringing people to Tahoe without meaningful work available and affected approximately 15% of our J-1 workforce.”
Donner Ski Ranch, which doesn’t have a scheduled opening date yet, sent out an email saying its owners, Marshall and Janet Tuttle, will pay rent for J-1 staff living in the Donner Ski Ranch housing for the next month (rent typically doesn’t start for them until Dec. 15).
David Reichel, Sierra Avalanche Center (SAC) executive director, said the center expects to start forecasting within the week due to the expected Christmas storm. By comparison, last year SAC’s first forecast was on Nov. 22. The latest date of a first forecast in SAC records was Dec. 7, 2013.
“It does appear this will be the latest start to our operations in over a decade,” Reichel said. “Our forecasters have been making snow observations for the last few weeks, albeit sadly mostly walking.”
~ MR