Reno-Tahoe

Mother Nature is finally playing along, as the Sierra Nevada got blanketed with several inches of beautiful snow last night. Several resorts are open with lifts turning, with more openings on the way.

The news from Alpine Meadows:

Lake Tahoe’s Alpine Meadows Ski Resort received 4 inches of new snow at its base lodge (elevation 6,835’) and 6 inches of new snow at mid-mountain (elevation 7,500’).
Evening temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing through Saturday, and Alpine Meadows will make snow during cold durations.

Video shot at Alpine today:

The news from Boreal Mountain Resort:

The storm that blew in Wednesday night to Donner Summit dropped eight to ten inches of fresh snow on the ski trails at Boreal allowing the resort to open to the top of the mountain for weekend skiers and riders. Boreal is expanding its daily operations to two lifts, two trails and two terrain park lines on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Boreal will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. thru Nov. 26. Night operations will begin Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. More lifts and runs will continue to open as snow and weather conditions permit. Resort services include all base facilities including food and beverage, ski/snowboard rentals, lessons and retail.

For complete ski conditions and resort information, log on to our resort finder.

It’s a right of passage kicking off each ski and board season. BOBOFest09, a screening of the new Warren Miller movie “Dynasty,” will be held at the Reno Events Center on Nov. 20.

More of a party than a movie, the event draws thousands of snowsports enthusiasts and includes a huge snow industry trade show with over 50 vendors, professional skiers and boarders and contests.

Miller’s “Dynasty” has an added bonus for Tahoe skiers – a big segment of the movie features skiing in the Sierra, scenery from our beautiful corner of the world and Tahoe snowsports personalities. The event also benefits Bobo’s kids’ scholarship programs for the Reno Housing Authority and the Sky Tavern Jr. Ski Program.

Check out the clip below to see Tahoe scenes from Dynasty, buy your tickets and come out to Reno’s biggest winter party.

Boreal Mountain Resort fired up its snowmaking system at 2 a.m., Sept. 30, 2009 marking the earliest snowmaking effort in the resort’s history.  Traditionally snowmaking season happens in October at Boreal, however the late September cold snap combined with Boreal’s upgraded snowmaking system makes this year’s snowmaking season opener a first.

Although it may seem “pre-emptive,” the reasoning behind the snowmaking efforts are two-fold: For the fifth season running, Boreal has produced the region’s only on-snow early season ski/snowboard event, 5th Annual Jibassic Public Invitational; also, the snowmaking system at the resort has been upgraded over the last three months and the change in weather is perfect for fine tuning the system and prepping for opening.

“Weather forecasting is critical this time of year and the short term forecast is calling for two nights of ideal snowmaking temperatures which will allow us to prep for our event, and early next week another cold front is forecasted to come through the Sierra which will open a second window of opportunity” said Shaydar Edelmann, Mountain Operations Director at Boreal.

Long-range forecasts show a breakdown of high pressure which is perfect for Boreal’s snowmaking season. “The earlier we can get the ground wet and freezing the better chance we have to open the resort early” said Jody Churich, General Manager at Boreal.  “Skiing and snowboarding is our business and marking an early opening is always our target this time of year.”

Boreal is located off Interstate 80 atop Donner Summit, 35 minutes from Reno, 90 minutes from Sacramento and only 8 miles from Truckee. Stay tuned for opening dates.

Boreal Snow Making 9/30/09 from Boreal Terrain Park on Vimeo.

The 2008-2009 ski and board season is coming to an end, so get up to Lake Tahoe this weekend at all costs! Sunny weather and great (fresh) snow is on the menu. Check out this video from Alpine Meadows if you need to get pumped up:

A strong storm is blowing through the Sierra Nevada right now and snow levels are dropping, which should translate into to a good dose of powder for pre-spring conditions. Before you pack the skis into the car and head for the hill, bookmark these great mobile Web sites to keep up with ski and driving conditions:

NVski.mobi: Created by the state of Nevada, this useful site offers updated resort reports with information like accumulation totals, weather conditions and base depth information. When the snow is coming down, conditions are always changing. Keep an eye on your favorite resorts with the searchable features.

NVroads.mobi: Although crews are on top of road clearing in and around the Sierra Nevada, conditions can change with big snow flurries. Nevada Department of Transportation alerts are channeled through this site to provide updates on slowdowns, chain and snow tire controls and other traffic news instantly, so drivers know what to expect around the bend.

These mobile sites work great with the iPhone Safari browser, but they are also compatible with any Web-enabled portable device. For tutorial information, check out the embedded video by the Nevada Commission on Tourism below:

The world’s best snow sports athletes brought their high-flying antics to Northstar-at-Tahoe last weekend for the Toyota Championship, the final stop of the Winter Dew Tour. The event featured men’s and women’s slopestyle and half-pipe events in snowboarding and skiing disciplines, with local athletes making a strong showing … and we got some pictures. Check out the slideshow below and log on to the Alli Sports Web site to view results:

The snow is continuing to fall in Reno-Tahoe as the heart of a good storm system passes over the Sierra crest. Good conditions on Saturday and Sunday (video) have turned to great conditions with cold temperatures keeping things light and fluffy.

According to the National Weather Service, the stormy weather is expected to continue through the week – with any luck the new layers will ensure a great couple weeks of powder and a long season well into spring.

Storm totals as reported by Tahoe resorts Monday morning:

• Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe: 6 inches
• Diamond Peak: 8 inches
• Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort: 13 inches
• Alpine Meadows: 22 inches
• Homewood Mountain Resort: 12 inches
• Squaw Valley USA: 16 inches
• Sugar Bowl: 16 inches
• Boreal: 18 inches
• Heavenly Lake Tahoe: 10 iches
• Kirkwood: 24 inches

For updated snow conditions, check out our resorts page online.

(Web cam view on Monday from the top of High Camp at Diamond Peak)

The Sierra Nevada is getting a fair dusting of storm as a cold front moves through. We hit Alpine Meadows on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore on Saturday and enjoyed some powder turns. Sunday should be great at ski and board resorts throughout Reno and Tahoe. If you are planning a trip to the area, be sure to check out our searchable resort finder to get up-to-the-minute snow and weather reports, as well as maps and pricing information.

Mike Henderson, a frequent contributor to this blog and an avid Sierra outdoors enthusiast takes viewers on a backcountry skiing adventure at Incline Peak, on the Nevada side of North Lake Tahoe. The region is located near Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe and is a 45-minute drive from downtown Reno. Check it out, and see more adventures at the Team Bacon Strip site.

Feral Snow #1 Incline Lake Peak from Mike Henderson on Vimeo.

What started as a meager ski season with a couple good early season storms and then a long, warm lull, has evolved into a powder-seekers dream in the Sierra Nevada. The last week has brought several feet of new snow to area ski resorts, and another storm system is expected through Christmas Day to add a couple more feet to the total.

What does all this mean? It means it is time to take advantage of discounted rates and book a ski trip to Reno-Tahoe. You’ll be glad you did …

Helmet cam view of Alpine Meadows on Sunday: