Snowfall Report:
14-16 inches of new snow fell on the upper mountain Thursday afternoon through Thursday night and 6-11 inches at the base. That brings the mountain to 211-213 inches for the season which is 84% of the average for the date.
Friday: We will see mostly sunny skies for most of the day on Friday, with highs in the 30s on the mountain. Ridgetop winds dropping off with lighter winds for Friday.
Friday Night – Saturday Storm: Another system will push into northern CA later Friday evening with snow showers expected through the day on Saturday, and then clearing Saturday evening. We should see all snow to the base with this storm, but with snow levels near to just below the base and highs in the 30s, the snow will be wet at the base.
We could see an additional 2-7 inches at the base and 5-9 inches on the mountain by Saturday evening. Gusty winds again with this system with ridgetop gusts from the southwest of 50-60+ mph up top, possibly affecting a few lifts. Highs in the 30s on the mountain.
Sunday: Expecting mostly sunny skies for most of the day on Sunday with lighter winds and highs in the 30s on the mountain. Winds could pick up some in the afternoon with ridgetop gusts to 40-50+ mph by the end of the day, as well as some increasing clouds as the next system approaches.
Sunday Night – Monday Storm: Another storm will move in Sunday evening. This storm looks to be the warmest of the 3. We could start as snow at the base Sunday evening but then turning to rain at the base overnight with snow levels rising to around 6500-7000 ft. by Monday morning and possibly sitting there through most of the day and not falling until the system ends Monday evening.
This storm will also bring gusty winds for Monday with ridgetop gusts of 60-70+mph from the southwest, likely affecting some of the upper mountain lift operations Monday. Highs in the 30s. We could see an additional 0-2 inches at the base before a change to rain, and 2-6 inches of wet snow on the mountain by Monday evening.
Long-Range: The long-range models show mostly sunny skies for Tuesday – Wednesday, but the winds up top could still be gusting with northwest winds possibly gusting 40-50+ mph both days. We could see increasing clouds by Thursday ahead of another storm that could move in by later Thursday into next Friday, with another storm possible for Saturday the 20th. We will be tracking those systems all week.
— BA
What To Expect This Weekend
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 the weather 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 should be purchased day-of at any ticket window. Friends & Family tickets cannot be purchased online or in advance, but they will not sell out.
- 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 need 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.
