Chris Christensen, at home in Mammoth. Photo: Andrew Miller
Ready for a wallop? As we’ve reported a couple times over the last few days, California’s Sierra (and a lot of the Western U.S.) is in for a massive snowstorm, with some forecasters calling it the storm of the season. Most major resorts from Tahoe to Mammoth are warning skiers and riders that this will be a massive blizzard with up to 144 inches possible (yeah, you read that right).
“Lake Tahoe is bracing for a colossal storm,” wrote marketing heads at Palisades Tahoe, “with the potential for 5-8 FEET of snow by Sunday. While we’re thrilled about the prospect of deep coverage, we are preparing for challenging operational impacts, and we would like you to be prepared before you travel. There will be slick roads, reduced visibility, and closures on mountain passes that are pretty much guaranteed. Our recommendation: Use the CalTrans QuickMap app and OpenSnow to make a safe and realistic plan. We will be starting from scratch and we cannot put out estimated re-opening information until we see what this storm brings. We do expect that Sunday will be a day of patience as we dig out. Each day, we set the next day’s lift projections at 4 p.m.”
Kirkwood, in South Lake Tahoe, had a similar message for guests: “BIG LOVE to our teams who are already actively preparing for up to 12 feet of snow.”
As did Mammoth in the Eastern Sierra: “We will be measuring this upcoming snowfall event in feet by Sunday according to the forecast and hype. Lift and resort operations will likely be impacted through the bulk of the storm due to heavy snowfall, high winds, low visibility and at times whiteout conditions.”
Things look like they will come in heavier and go out light in terms of snow quality. Right now (Thursday), Palisades is at 28 degrees with snow expected, calling for 35 inches by Friday with a high of 24, 28 inches Saturday with a high of just 17, and 16 inches Sunday with a high of 19 degrees. Other resorts are looking at similar models with Mammoth expecting even cooler temps being on the other side of the mountains. The powder could be blower by Sunday, if you can get to it.
Powderchasers is calling this the storm of the season for not just the Sierra, but the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies. From Mt. Bachelor, to Brundage (Idaho), to Jackson Hole and even in the four corners region of Colorado, PC is predicting feet of snow. Get ready to chase pow.
Road and avalanche conditions will be poor, as expected, so use your noggin out there. Visibility looks to be an issue as well so riding in the trees will probably be the best bet. But this is definitely shaping up to be a March Miracle to kickstart the month.
