Mid-Season Storms Turn Things Around at Squaw Valley
Sunshine and powder on Jan 19. Photo courtesy Squaw Alpine
Mountainwatch | Reggae Elliss
It has been a good week to be in Squaw Valley after three solid snowfalls in 10 days dropped nearly a metre and half of snow on the upper mountain and 70cms at base level. The result was a few awesome powder days and more lifts and terrain opening after a dry December with well below average snowfall.
There were a couple of warmer storms that crossed California in early January which saw snow on the upper half of the Tahoe mountains above 7000 feet, but rain at lake level. The three recent storms were much colder, with snow down to 6000 feet, leaving the beaches lining Lake Tahoe covered with snow.
There’s something special about a village covered with fresh snow
I arrived in Squaw with my family the day before the first storm on January 19 and our timing could not have been better. The storms came through mid-week and the locals were out in force, keen to get their fill after December’s powder drought. While Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are not 100% open, much of the best terrain is open, so the crowd was spread out and there were plenty of fresh turns to go around.
The first few hours each morning after the storms were pretty epic, particularly on January 26, when we celebrated Australia Day with 40cms of cold dry snow, light winds and quality snow all day thanks to a maximum temp of minus five.
Arkie Elliss having a lot of fun on Australia Day
Anyone who has skied the resorts around Lake Tahoe will tell you the weekend crowds can be hectic as it is a relatively short 3.5-hour drive from San Francisco and an even shorter drive from the smaller cities of Sacramento and Reno. Not surprisingly, the past two weekends have been really crowded here in Squaw, the solid top-ups drawing skiers out of the woodwork and it has been similar to an August weekend in Perisher or Buller.
Mid-week, however, is the opposite and you can be forgiven for thinking you are in a different resort. Outside of the powder days it has been pretty well ski straight on at each lift and the past two weeks have seen some beautiful sunny days with soft, dry snow off-piste while the groomed runs have been fun with a layer of seamless corduroy each morning, perfect for some big, fast turns and the terrain parks are in great shape
After the weather cleared, Squaw’s terrain parks were prime. Joey Elliss, taking an air with a view.
It has been sunny for the past two days, it is almost halfway through the season and the forecast for the Californian mountains over the next two weeks is for sunshine and relatively mild temps. There are signs the storm window will re-open in the latter half of February and while it is unlikely Squaw will reach its seasonal average of 450ins (11.9 metres) – yes, it is that huge – big storms are not uncommon in March. For example, after a slow first half of the season in 1991 and 2012, March delivered 5.1 metres and 3.7 metres respectively.
No doubt the locals will be sweating on that happening, but if it does and you’re thinking of spending some time hunting good snow in the back half of the northern hemisphere winter, I reckon Squaw will be a great place to spend Easter.
Emerald Bay, one of Lake Tahoe’s jewells, looking amazing at dawn after the recent snow.
