As the rest of the country watches their snow quickly retreat to higher elevations, Squaw Valley’s Andy Wirth is talking about keeping the lifts running all the way through the summer.
Related: Squaw Valley is Considering Staying Open Though The Summer And Right Into Next Season!
Turns out, that’s a real possibility as the USDA’s SNOTEL summary for the Tahoe region has the region’s snowpack at 306% of its normal for this time of year. That’s over 3 X the average for late April!
Good indicators of the mountain snowpack such as the SNOTEL sites on Carson Pass, Mt Rose, Ebbett’s Pass, and Donner Pass are all measuring over 200% of their normal while some lake level zones such as the Tahoe City Cross are a coming in at a whopping 1,744% of its normal.
Among other things, this means the California Department For Water Resources will be busy through the spring, bolstering dams like Oroville, which saw rain and snowmelt cause massive spillway damage last month.
Ski Area SNOTEL Sites:
*Current Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) % of Normal
Squaw Valley – 182%
Mt Rose – 257%
Heavenly – 324%