Lake Tahoe Snow Report

November and December ushered in an incredible amount of snow for the local ski resorts in Lake Tahoe and Truckee.  Just in the last 48 hours, the area received several feet of snow above 7000 feet.

Snow and wind on Sunday delayed openings at many ski resorts. Palisades Tahoe and Alpine Meadows reported 36” at the base and 35” on the upper mountain as of Sunday morning. An additional 6-12 inches on Sunday met the snowfall forecast of 3-5 feet for the weekend.

Ski Resort Snow Conditions

Name                  Snow 24 hr         Base Depth           Trails Open        Lifts Open

Northstar                      44”                         64-98”                  59                        10

Palisades Tahoe           35”                            81”                       14                        13

Alpine Meadows          35”                            81”                       31                        5

Boreal Ridge                 54”                           75”                       21                         2

December Snow Forecast

We expect outstanding ski conditions for the week of December 12, 2022 as the skies clear with partial sun. Temperatures over the week will remain cold as the low pressure system remains. This cold and dry pattern is expected to extend throughout the week.

The GFS model shows a storm off the coast that will be hitting the Lake Tahoe basin right before Christmas. If you are planning to spend the holidays in Lake Tahoe, be sure to check road conditions and plan accordingly.

The last few storms have been heavy with road closures on Highway 50 and 80. Mount Rose has closed several times during the last few storms. The next system is forecast to approach around December 20, 2022 and last for several days.

Ski Resort Upgrades

Palisades Tahoe, Alpine Meadows and Northstar have all opened with upgrades to their resorts. Palisades upgraded the Red Dog chair to a quad and at Alpine Meadows, they extended the base area to make it easier to access the lifts from the lodge. Sierra at Tahoe spent months rebuilding after the Caldor Fire and is now open.

Lake Tahoe Real Estate Market

The Lake Tahoe real estate market has slowed because of rising interest rates. However, rates were reduced at the end of November and are now at 6.5%. The FED is expected to raise rates once again on Wednesday, but we expect a .50 hike as opposed to the .75 hikes of prior months.

Lenders hit by low demand for mortgages appear to be offering rates below their normal margins. This may be a great time to lock in your rate.

With all of the snow, we expect buyers to be excited about finding a mountain retreat for an epic season of skiing and boarding in 2022/2023.

Contact me today for more information about the Lake Tahoe and Truckee real estate market.