Grab Your Snowboard, Resorts Extend Ski Season After Record-Breaking Snowfall
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| There is still time for a few more runs |
Although some will still swear they saw a tiny white flake drop from the skies of San Francisco, it meant nothing to the people who really pray for the white stuff.
But this will: Resorts in Lake Tahoe and other parts of California are extending their ski season -- some as long the summer.
Squaw Valley USA, located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, decided this week to keep the mountain open until May 30. Shoot, it might even open up again for the Fourth of July weekend.
The decision to extend ski season was an easy one, considering that the base currently has 250 inches of snow, said Amelia Richmond, spokeswoman for Squaw Valley.
"We will have snow for quite some time," she told SF Weekly. "So the executives made the decision to extend the season since skiing will be phenomenal."
In an average year, Squaw Valley -- which typically closes its ski season in early May -- gets an average of 450 inches of snow. But this season, the mountain has seen 691 inches -- a record that hasn't been broken since 1952.
It's been a historic ski season on all fronts, Richmond said. The season kicked off with a record snowfall in November and in December, followed by a record warm front in January.
Likewise, Heavenly Mountain, located on the south shore off Lake Tahoe, is also reporting record snowfall of more than 500 inches this season. Yet executives have decided to keep the mountain open only through April 24. Typically, the season closes in mid-April, said Russ Pecoraro, spokesman for Heavenly Ski Resort.
"In the springtime most people's thoughts move to other outdoor activities like cycling or working on their yard and it doesn't support keeping the ski areas open." Pecoraro said. "But it's a long season and there's still a lot left."
Or not enough of it, depending on who you ask.
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