As we head into the holiday period, a mix of winter weather and evolving mountain conditions sets the stage for an exciting week ahead. With storms bringing high-elevation snow and ongoing efforts to expand lift operations, there’s a lot to look forward to.
Weather:
We’ll be on the southern edge of a storm track this weekend, with rain and high-elevation snow showers expected Saturday. Strong ridgetop winds could affect upper mountain lift operations. The storm continues Sunday, with lighter winds and fluctuating snow levels bringing steady precipitation Sunday night. Snow levels will range between 7,000-8,000 ft., with up to 7 inches of snow above 8,000 ft. by Monday morning. Monday clears out with highs in the 30s on the mountain and 40s near the base. A Christmas Eve storm could drop 5-17 inches of snow from base to summit, with snow levels crashing to the base by Tuesday morning. Christmas Day looks sunny and calm, with lighter winds and highs in the 30s—a potential powder day. Active weather continues through the week, with storms on the southern edge of the track bringing more rain, snow, and gusty winds. Click here to read the full weather blog by Open Snow’s Bryan Allegretto.
Conditions
Currently, the slopes are FIRM, with much of the off-piste snow covered by a 1/4″ to 1/2″ layer of breakable crust on top of icy powder, making it challenging and potentially hazardous for skiing. This has been a major cause of keeping some of our terrain on patrol hold, such as Granite Chief. However, off-piste areas with southeast exposure, like Broken Arrow, Tower 16, and the open terrain on Scott, soften throughout the day under the sun, offering excellent skiing. For the best experience, stick to groomed runs and explore off-piste only in sunlit, south-east-facing areas.
Operations
For operations in the upcoming week, we are doing our best to open more terrain when and where possible as well as expand grooming to more of our slopes. We are thrilled to open KT-22 for the first time this season today! The storm cycle that is moving in this weekend could affect our upper mountain lift operations, especially on Saturday. We will continue to update our app and the Lift + Grooming Status webpage with all lift and terrain updates.
Palisades:
Our goal for the holiday period is to open every chair as weather and conditions allow, with the exception of Silverado. Today we were able to open KT-22. We have plans to open Headwall, Solitude, Emigrant, and Olympic Lady. The off-piste areas on Headwall remain challenging due to a breakable crust over icy powder, which has contributed to the delay in opening this zone as well at KT-22.
The Belmont terrain park has been rebuilt with a few new features and the cross course from Belmont to Old Riviera is now in!
Alpine:
At Alpine, we will be adding Alpine Bowl Chair, Kangaroo, Yellow, and Little Carpet to the lift schedule throughout the holiday time period. Treeline-Cirque is running to the top, and Scott chair was added to the schedule earlier this week. We have also built the Tiegel terrain park, with three rail features and some playful rollers, berms, and other snow features.
Lakeview and Sherwood need a lot more snow to open and are currently not in the foreseeable future.
Mountain Surf Report
Check out these two videos from yesterday, showing the breakable crust on some of our off-piste terrain, as well as the newly open KT-22!
Parking
We are currently approaching the holiday period where mid-week parking reservations are required. Free parking reservations for December 21st – 27th will be available on December 17th. For December 28th – January 3rd reservations will be available on the 24th. And for the weekend of January 4th-5th, reservations will be available on December 31st. Reservations are required throughout the entirety of this holiday period. If you have not booked a parking reservation there are other free ways to get to the mountain: the Mountaineer Shuttle, which offers free rides in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, TART, and the free Park and Ride, available in both Truckee and Tahoe City with frequent rides between 6:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Special Offers and Deals at Palisades Tahoe
- Perfect Progression Program: For first-time skiers and riders, this program gently introduces you to the exciting, beautiful mountain environment of skiing and snowboarding. After you take three beginner lessons at Alpine, you receive a complimentary unrestricted season pass for Palisades Tahoe
- 4-Day Lift Pack: Save up to 40% on lift tickets with ticket packs designed for your adventure. Enjoy the flexibility of using your days at any point throughout the season, so regardless of your schedule or the weather, you decide when to take your mountain time.
- Demo 4-Pack: Leave your old equipment behind and ensure you get the best fit for your style and skill level with demo rental packages. Try the newest skis and snowboards before you buy and conveniently exchange your gear at any one of our three demo locations.
HOW TO GET OPERATIONS UPDATES:
Bookmark these pages:
Not wanting to check the website constantly? Try these other methods:
- Follow our Mountain Operations X (formerly Twitter) account
- Sign up for the Palisades Tahoe Ski & Ride Report (Weather Blogs + Conditions Blogs are included here)
- Download the Palisades Tahoe App
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