Lake Tahoe Ski Season Delayed Due to Lack of Snow
Winter is quickly approaching and many skiers across the country are eager to hit the slopes. If you're looking to do so in Lake Tahoe, though, you might have to wait a little longer.
Heavenly and Northstar resorts are two of Lake Tahoe's most popular ski resorts. While opening for the 2023–24 winter ski season was scheduled for this weekend, both locations have been forced to delay opening as the mountains just aren't thick enough with snow yet.
"We’re working hard to get ready for the season and are just as excited as you are... but we need a little bit more help from Mother Nature in the form of natural snow and colder temps to keep the snow guns running," Heavenly shared in a Facebook post. "We are SO close—we just need a few more nights of the right conditions to make more snow."
"Unfortunately, this means we aren't quite ready to open this Friday [Nov. 17] as initially planned. We want to—and will—open the very second we can, and we’ll keep you posted along the way," the post continued. "Tahoe weather is often unpredictable (as we saw last year!) and we’re excited for the season ahead." The 2022–23 ski season, which wrapped up earlier this year, was South Lake Tahoe's snowiest season on record; Heavenly registered 566 inches of powder.
Northstar, meanwhile, similarly shared disappointing news of their own.
"While we were hoping to ski and ride with you this weekend, Mother Nature had other plans and threw us some curveballs in the form of warmer temperatures. As a result, our target opening day will be delayed," the resort said on Facebook. "We’re monitoring the forecast minute-by-minute, and our pro snowmakers are ready to make snow at every possible opportunity once conditions allow. We’ll open the moment we’re able to and will provide you all with an update on a new target opening as soon as possible."
"Please trust us when we say we want to open and get back on the slopes just as badly as you," the team insisted. "It’s what we live and work SO hard for."
Resorts on the north side of the lake, meanwhile, are either already open for the season or opening soon. Boreal opened on Nov. 17, while Mt. Rose opened on Nov. 10. Palisades Tahoe is set to open on Nov. 22 and Sugar Bowl is set for Nov. 24. Kirkwoods and Sierra-at-Tahoe, meanwhile, will open at the top of December on Dec. 1 and 2, respectively.