It’s a holiday weekend! While this is an exciting time to get away and enjoy some skiing, keep in mind that holidays can be busy at Squaw Alpine. Here is what you need to know in order to have an enjoyable, seamless weekend. Our #1 recommendation: Be patient and flexible. This season is a bit different due to Covid-19, but the skiing & snowboarding is still just as fun.
Weather
This is the predicted weather for Olympic Valley. To check the weather yourself, we recommend using NOAA/NWS. You can also read Squaw Alpine-specific predictions on our weather blog. A series of storms that will bring snow and winds to the mountains is forecasted. Snow levels are expected to vary.
- Friday Morning: Partly sunny throughout the day.
- Friday Evening: Cloudy with intermittent snow likely after midnight.
- Saturday Morning: Light snow all day, with an expected accumulation of up to 5 inches.
- Saturday Evening: Cloudy and cold with a low of 19 degrees.
- Sunday: Sunny with a high of 40 degrees.
- Monday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow. Some rain possible.
Road conditions will be affected, and you should take this into consideration when planning your visit. We recommend using the CalTrans Quick Map to check road closures or to see if you will need chains.
Will this affect lift operations?
Winds & storm conditions may lead to impacted lift operations. This is mostly due to the fact that we have altered some of our protocols because of Covid-19 in order to keep our employees safe. For example, fewer people are allowed in equipment assembly rooms. Fewer people can occupy lift terminals to carry out de-icing. Ski Patrol troop carriers are reduced by 75% capacity. For these reasons, we ask that you please be patient. You should check the Squaw Alpine app, the website, or the Squaw Alpine Ops Twitter for updates & real-time information.
Remember, lines might look longer than they are due to social distancing. The best way to check lift wait times is to download the Squaw Alpine app or visit the Lift Status page of the website.
Limited Indoor Capacity
It will be cold and snowy at times this weekend, so please remember that indoor capacity remains limited due to Covid-19 protocols. Be prepared to spend extended periods of time outdoors. We recommend that you kit your car out with a thermos of hot water, extra layers, and a good playlist. You will want to use your car as a home base. Indoor warming spaces will not be available.
Not sure what to bring in these variable weather conditions? Check out our Lake Tahoe Packing Guide.
Parking & Traffic
Our parking is likely to fill up quickly at both mountains this weekend. Once lots are full, they are full, and there is no reason to continue driving towards Squaw Alpine. We provide regular updates on our parking lot status updates through the Squaw Alpine app. Make sure you have your notifications turned on. Additionally, you can follow our Squaw Alpine Ops Twitter account to see our tweets about parking capacity as well. Please remember to carpool and tailgate only with your household.
Can I reserve parking in advance?
If you want to guarantee a spot for yourself, some parking is available to pre-purchase for Alpine Meadows, but otherwise, all of our parking is free, and it is first-come, first-served.
What should I do if parking fills up? Can I get a refund?
If we say our parking is full, it is FULL so please do not continue to the resort. We will not have spots in our lots until later in the afternoon. Drop-offs are not permitted when parking is full.
If you are unable to park at either mountain and need to make a change to your lift ticket, lesson, rental/demo or activity reservation, you can fill out our refund & date change request form. We honor all refunds that are requested due to park out conditions.
Why is parking filling so quickly?
Due to Covid-19, we have made the following changes to our transportation initiatives, as a safety precaution.
- We have discontinued our Protect Our Winters Carpool Program. We are not encouraging people to rideshare during Covid. Because of this, we are seeing fewer people per vehicle than usual, which means that our parking lots fill with fewer people at the resort.
- We have suspended our supplemental trips on the Park & Ride program that we fully funded, which added extra TART buses exclusively for use at Squaw and Alpine
- The Mountaineer shuttle service has ceased operations for the remainder of this season. It will be back next year.
These programs were suspended because there has been very little usage of public transportation options due to Covid, and local funding mechanisms have suffered significant revenue losses due to business closures. In addition, the North Tahoe region continues to see a large number of non-ski/ride sightseers and snow-players, which puts significantly more cars on the road than in a typical season. All of these factors have led to longer traffic lines and full parking. The best thing you can do is be prepared and be flexible.
How To Access the Mountain
Here are a few important reminders for this weekend:
- Ikon Base Pass and Ikon Session 4-Day Pack holders are blacked out on Saturday and Sunday (the 13th and 14th). 25% off Blackout Date lift tickets are available to pass holders in person at the ticket windows for both days.
- There are no day-of tickets available at Squaw or Alpine and full-day online tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are sold out. At this time, afternoon lift tickets are still available on these days. If you do not have a pass or pack, you must purchase your tickets online in advance. If you are unable to acquire a ticket or pass online in advance, please don’t come.
- Ikon Friends & Family tickets do not sell out and are available. These tickets can be purchased day-of at any ticket window.
- If you have Friends & Family tickets for a Squaw Alpine Military Pass, Squaw Alpine Season Pass, or the Midweek 4 Pack, these also do not sell out and must be purchased in person. Please note: Military Friends & Family tickets are blacked out on weekends.
If you eed to request a refund or change the date of your visit, you can fill out our refund & date change form to get started. Please note: If you need assistance with a lodging reservation, do not use this form. Call 1-800-403-0206 and one of our agents will help you.
Face Coverings and Social Distancing
Physical distancing and mask-wearing are being strictly enforced: A two-layer face covering is required at all times except when skiing and riding down the mountain. Masks and gaiters can get soggy, so consider packing several. You can keep them dry in a bag in your pocket, or leave extras in your car.
If you’re still looking for the perfect two-layer neck gaiter, we recommend Phunkshun Wear! These face coverings are available to purchase at Parallel Mountain Sports in the Village at Squaw Valley and Estelle Sports located in the Alpine Meadows Lodge.
Dining & Shopping
While the Stay-Home order has been lifted, Placer County is still in the Purple Tier of Covid regulations. This means that our restaurants are open for to-go food or outdoor seating only. You can plan ahead and order online from a number of our establishments. Our retail locations, meanwhile, are open for business at 25% capacity. Please know and respect our local regulations.
