Squaw Valley, CA Operations Update: Open Weekends in June, Open Saturdays in July and August

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Little to no clearance on KT-22 in February. It took a few machines (and employees) to get clearance for skiers and riders to load the chairlift. At first, we could only load 2-3 people due to weight on the line. Photo: Will Paden, Director of Avalanche Control

THE “ENDLESS” SEASON

by Squaw Valley

What a season we’ve had so far, and it’s still going. Take a look back at some of the season milestones that led to what might be the longest season ever!

NOVEMBER 2016

Snowy Opening Day

Opening Day at Alpine Meadows. November 23, 2016. Photo: Ben Arnst

The 2016-17 season kicked off on November 23 the best way possible – with new snow! The stoke was high as we took our first laps of the season on 4″ of fresh snow that continued throughout the day. Skiers and riders were fired up, taking the snowy weather as a sign of an amazing season ahead…

DECEMBER 2016

Christmas Powder
Conditions at Alpine Meadows on December 25, 2016. Photo: Jeff Engerbretson

Mother Nature and Santa worked together in December to deliver the month’s first BIG storm in time for the holidays! We woke up to 14″ of fresh powder on December 24, and a bluebird powder day with a 21″ storm total on Christmas Day.

#JANUBURIED 2017

Snowiest Month on Record
Snow piled high along the Alpine Meadows Road on January 23, 2017. Photo: Ben Arnst

Who could forget January? It snowed 16 out of 31 days and the monthly total reached 282 inches. That’s over 23 FEET, making January 2017 the snowiest month at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows on record!

FEBRUARY 2017

Snowiest February on Record
Granite Chief lift buried after a 7 foot storm lasting February 17-23 at Squaw Valley. Photo: Ben Arnst

February is historically very snowy in the Sierra, bringing the most average snowfall of any month. This February we received 196 inches (over 16 feet), making it the snowiest February on record! Needless to say, once the lifts were dug out we enjoyed plenty of powder on the slopes.

MARCH 2017

Surpassed 600 Inches of Season Snowfall
Alpine Meadows on March 7, 2017. Photo: Matt Bansak
On March 7 following a 3 foot storm total, we officially broke the 600″ mark for the season! This is only the 3rd time in recorded history that our mountains have reached 600″.

APRIL 2017

Surpassed 700 Inches of Season Snowfall
Silverado Zone at Squaw Valley on April 9, 2017. Photo: Ben Arnst
The Spring season may have officially started in March, but powder days continued into April. With several spring storms, our season snowfall total broke 700 inches on April 14, 2017. This is only second time in recorded history that our mountains have reached 700″!

EXTENDING OUR SEASON

Operating into Summer, as Long as the Snow Lasts
Spring skiing is here and it won’t be going anywhere for a while! With a cumulative snowfall of 714 inches, nearly 60 feet, and a base depth of more than 20 feet, we plan to continue operations at Squaw Valley as far into summer as conditions allow. Here’s a look at our plan for the upcoming months following this record-breaking season:
  • May 2017: Alpine Meadows will operate Saturdays & Sundays from 8:30am-2pm through closing day on Sunday, May 14. Squaw Valley will operate daily from 9am-4pm through May 31.
  • June 2017: Squaw Valley will open for skiing and riding on Saturdays & Sundays in June. Hours to be determined, based on conditions.
  • July 1-4: Squaw Valley will operate daily for skiing, riding and activities. Hours to be determined, based on conditions.

Beyond July 4th

As conditions allow and the snow lasts, Squaw Valley is gearing up to operate the Shirley Lake Express chair on Saturday’s in July…or August! Our groomers will be working to relocate snow to the area to maintain snowpack and allow for summer skiing and riding. Basically, we plan to let you ski as long as the snow lasts!


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13 thoughts on “Squaw Valley, CA Operations Update: Open Weekends in June, Open Saturdays in July and August

  1. Stoked for you Squaw Valley and Alpine. Our first ski day this year will be on May 15. That’s a new record for me. Jan E. Schwartz, previously a Squaw Valley resident, 🙂 Jan.

  2. Conditions are still ripping. Jamie Yim landed a cork 360 switch yesterday off headwall, it was unreal

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