With temperatures breaking 60 degrees these last two days it is hard to imagine ski season starting any day soon.

The lack of snow is causing bouts of stress and edginess in Skiers and Snowboarders.  This is no surprise after last season’s early start.  It is November 10th, and by this time last year, most serious riders had already accrued more than 6 powder days.  We need to take a step back into reality because our expectations are jaded. 

Last year started early with a cluster of significantly sized storms in mid October. Alpine Meadows opened Halloween weekend, citing it as the second earliest opening of all time.  Boreal and their aggressive early season snow making and cold summit weather beat them out by over a week.  This record breaking opening actually only broke a four year old prior record when Alpine opened on November 1st in the winter
Of 2000/2001.  Opening by the 1st of November is plausible, but it certainly isn't typical.  We should keep in mind that after the early snow last year it was dry for a good part of November through early December yielding thin and icy conditions.  Well, icy for Tahoe anyways.  So, sometimes these early season storms are just teasers. 

After the gloomy wet conditions in late October that resulted in snow on the upper elevations, most riders were confident that opening day was moments away.  With the mountain tops white, reports have already been coming in of daring early season riders risking the extremely thin snow pack for their first turns.  Even, the park rats have been spotted at upper elevations getting into shape with their homegrown rails.  These conditions pinnacled when a sizeable storm swung down from the north pacific last week and pointed itself at Tahoe.  The storm was just wanted we needed to get things started.  Unfortunately, just as the storm made its final approach it split on the Sierra Crest and part of it went north to Mt. Shasta and the rest went south to Mammoth.  Tahoe got the heisman, while both Shasta and Mammoth got dumped on.  Mammoth had originally called for a very early opening only to back it off when they received little early snow, but as a result of this storm they opened today! 

Tahoe seems to be getting the short end of the stick so far this winter.  Last year everything north of Tahoe starved for snow, but this year British Columbia, Washington and Oregon are all posting better conditions then Tahoe right now.  Even Colorado has snow.  Don’t fret, this just means we have some catching up to do.  And like every other year, in the end Tahoe’s snow pack will dominate Colorado’s.   

It is early still, and we must be patient.  This weekend take some time to get out and wash your cars, sacrifice some skis to the snow gods, and think snow.  Tahoe Review is officially calling for the first “real” storm to hit Thanksgiving day and for resorts to open on the 26th of November.