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  • Operations

Operations Update: WE’RE BURIED! 32+ Inches of Snow in 24 Hours

  • Jan 1, 2023
  • 3:23 pm

Happy New Year! What an awesome way to start 2023: Across all of our elevations, we received more than 32 inches of snow. This storm has been an absolute whirlwind. There were moments when we thought it was going to be all rain, but snow levels dropped early yesterday morning and our snow totals have obliterated any projections. 32 inches is what we reported in the Palisades base area, so the higher you go, the deeper it gets. At one point, it was snowing 7 inches per hour yesterday evening! This storm set a record for our mountains as the most snow ever recorded in a 12-hour period. We were able to get quite a few lifts open today, and we’re adding even more to the schedule tomorrow ahead of another storm.

Photo above taken by Asa Moore, Assistant Manager of Grooming at Palisades.

Accumulation

Behind The Scenes

Subway Chairlift has been through the wringer! The first photo (taken by Jeff Goldstone, Mountain Manager at Alpine) shows a sinkhole that was created from the flooding during the rainy part of this storm. The second photo (taken by Blake Kessler) is Subway Chairlift this morning, now covered in snow.

Grooming

A snowcat buried up to the windows
Photo taken by Bandit, Grooming Supervisor at Palisades

This is a photo of the snow on the upper mountain coming in through the window of a snowcat. Have you ever stood next to a snowcat? Those things are TALL!

Obviously, when snow falls it doesn’t just fall straight down and is affected by wind or location. This area is deeper than others, but it’s important to know that the snow depth will vary depending on where you are. This week, since we are expecting more snow, it is going to be crucial for you to be aware of your surroundings. Consider reviewing some Deep Snow Safety tips before skiing or riding.

  • Resort Chair buried! Photo taken by Nick McMahon
  • Photo taken by Nick McMahon
  • Photo taken by Asa Moore
  • Photo taken by Asa Moore
  • Photo taken by Asa Moore

Base to Base Gondola

The Base to Base Gondola opened today despite huge wind drifts and rime ice. First two pictures taken by Jonathan Millar, Base to Base Gondola Manager. Third photo taken by Bandit, Grooming Supervisor at Palisades.

This Morning

If you were on the Palisades side or over at Alpine this morning, you probably could *hear* ski patrol doing control work. They battled some serious slide activity (yes, even on the lower mountains) trying to get this place open safely. We don’t just put things on Patrol Hold for no reason; it is a calculated decision made with the safety of both our team and our guests in mind.

Photos taken by Blake Kessler at Alpine this morning.

Check out these photos of the Alpine base area just before sunrise. Snow removal is super time-consuming on days like this! All of these photos were taken by Blake Kessler.

Tomorrow: What To Expect

Tomorrow will be clear in the morning but by the afternoon, snow will start. Hopefully, winds won’t be an issue until later in the day. Bryan Allegretto has them forecast in the 40-50mph range.

  • We have Siberia, Solitude, and Shirley on the schedule for tomorrow. Shirley is likely to be delayed.
  • Wa She Shu has a ton of ice on it that we are still breaking. Delays are possible.
  • Belmont Terrain Park and Tiegel Terrain Park will open tomorrow.
  • Roundhouse is TBD; We lost power to the tensioning system. If the line has no tension, we cannot run the lift.

By Monday morning, we’ll likely see:

  • 2-5 inches at the base.
  • 3-7 inches on the mountain.

WANT THIS BLOG TO COME TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX?

Sign up for our Mountain Operations email list, and we’ll send this blog directly to you every time we have an update. We’ll share another update on Tuesday. Sign up here.

HOW ELSE CAN I STAY UP-TO-DATE THIS SEASON?

We’ll arm you with all the information you need to plan the perfect ski day any day this winter. Bookmark these pages:

  • Lift + Grooming Status
  • Snow & Weather
  • Operations Blog
  • Conditions Blog
  • Weather Blog

Not wanting to check the website constantly? Try these other methods:

  • Follow our Mountain Operations Twitter account
  • Sign up for the Palisades Tahoe Ski & Ride Report (Weather Blogs + Conditions Blogs are included here)
  • Download the Palisades Tahoe App

Do you have any requests for this season’s Operations Blogs? Topics you’d like to see covered or information you think is missing? Send us an email at chatter@palisadestahoe.com with your feedback. We have received a lot of messages lately, and we are getting back to you one by one. Thanks for being patient!

Operations
Liz Worgan
Liz Worgan

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