The best of spring has been here in full force the past few days: warm temps, skiers & snowboarders in funny costumes, and snowblades galore. While you probably don’t want to skip the fresh hot wax anytime soon, the sunny skies are making for a super fun mountain experience, whether that’s enjoying the fresh corduroy first thing in the morning or relaxing in the afternoon for some outdoor après on one of our many patios and sundecks. We do have a little bit of snow in the forecast tomorrow (woohoo!) but with the warming weather overall, we also have a few operations updates. Here is the full scoop:
Headwall chairlift at Palisades
Headwall chairlift may not be on the schedule starting tomorrow, but don’t panic — when the lift closes, the terrain will still be accessible via Reverse Traverse. The reason behind this closure is that the difficulty in building the ramp at the top terminal of Headwall is compounding as snow melts. Patrollers and Lift Operators have been shoveling non-stop and Grooming has been farming snow for the area (see photos below), but we are reaching a point in snowmelt that requires us to turn our attention elsewhere. Groomers will attempt to put a machine on that area tonight, but coverage is thin, and we are wary of possibly turning up more rocks and dirt rather than preserving the terrain. If a machine can’t do the job, we will have Patrol re-assess in the morning to see if we can get the ramp built by hand. If Headwall does open in the morning, it may not last the whole day. The terrain off of Headwall has still been really fun, so again, we will keep that open via Reverse Traverse as long as we can.
Lakeview chairlift at Alpine
Lakeview chairlift is now closed for the season. We would need a significant amount of snowfall (several feet) to get to a point where we could reopen.
Sherwood chairlift at Alpine
Sherwood chairlift does not have a ton of time left in it this season, but we are trying to make the snow there last as long as possible. Sherwood will be open from 9am-11am while we can maintain that area, and closed in the afternoon to prevent skiers/snowboarders from pushing snow downhill in the height of daytime heat. Ray’s Rut will stay open after 11am for those who park near the base of Sherwood lift, but please keep in mind that Ray’s Rut can be more of a hike than a ski run this time of year, so plan accordingly. Scott chairlift will pick up at 11am, when Sherwood closes, and remain open until 4pm.
Weather Forecast
- Tonight: Winds pick up overnight as a cold front moves in.
- Sunday: Sunny and 51 degrees but breezy with the possibility of wind impacts.
- Sunday Night: Snow is expected to start around 8pm. It may start as rain. Please keep in mind that there could be travel impacts on Sunday, especially if you are trying to access a higher-elevation area such as Donner Pass. Please plan accordingly.
- Monday: Foggy with snow showers. The overall expected accumulation is between 3-5 inches.
- Tuesday: Spring weather begins to make a comeback at 45 degrees and sunny.
Reminder: Check Our Conditions Reports!
We try to be as transparent as possible with these updates, and we’ve added another avenue for getting detailed information on what conditions are really like. Up to 5 times per week, Tahoe locals are posting about their day on our blog, and you can get real insight into what was skiing well and what to avoid. Read the latest blog here.
