Industry News
This post first appeared on the Palisades Tahoe blog on Friday, December 13, and was written by Maddy Condon
In the past 24 hours, Mother Nature dumped 13 inches of snow on the Palisades Tahoe, California, upper mountain, bringing our season snowfall total to 6 feet. This storm cycle will intensify and could get another 2 feet of snow to the slopes by Sunday morning. Today, we were able to open Granite Chief! This feat was thanks to the mountain operations teams, including lift maintenance, grooming, and all of the work the revegetation team put in over the summer.
- December 12 report: Palisades Tahoe, CA, Report: Upper Mountain Mini-Powder Day Fun
Weather
Snow showers will continue today, with lighter precipitation and increasing ridgetop winds gusting up to 70+ mph. By tonight, steadier snow will move in, with snow levels briefly peaking at 6000-6500 feet before dropping below the base by Saturday morning. The storm could deliver 14-20 inches at the base and 23-30 inches at the summit by Sunday morning, with winds up to 100+ mph, affecting upper mountain lift operations on Saturday. Sunday clears out with sunny skies, while a weaker system on Monday may bring light showers and windy conditions. Click here to read the weather blog by Open Snow’s Bryan Allegretto.
Operations
Palisades:
- Friday: Today, we opened Granite Chief for the first time this season.
- Saturday: We anticipate strong ridgetop winds up to 100+ mph, which will likely affect our upper mountain operations. If this is the case, we will shift our focus to the lower mountain and attempt to run Exhibition to the top station, Far East, Red Dog, Resort Chair, and First Venture.
- Sunday: Due to the snowfall on Saturday, there could be delays in opening our lifts, as our mountain operations team will be performing snow mitigation and digging out lifts. We will update our lift operations on our app and the Lift + Grooming Status webpage.
Alpine:
- The scheduled lifts at Alpine include Summit, Roundhouse, Treeline Cirque, Yellow, Meadow, Subway, Big Carpet, and Little Carpet. With the higher winds on Saturday, we expect lift operations to be impacted, especially those running to the upper mountain.
Terrain Expansion: Terrain expansion efforts will continue as soon as conditions allow, and teams are working diligently to prepare the mountain for expansion.
Mountain Surf Report with Travis Ganong
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Safety on the Slopes
Even though the storm rolling in could bring feet of snow, we would still consider these “low-tide” conditions, with hidden obstacles like rocks and smaller trees right underneath the surface of the snow. If you choose to ski “off-piste” (off of groomed runs), be aware of your speed and unmarked obstacles hidden under the snow.
Parking
Free parking reservations are sold out for Saturday and Sunday at Palisades this upcoming weekend. There are still free parking reservations available at Alpine, and we will be running the Palisades Tahoe shuttles to and from both base areas and the Base to Base Gondola when possible. If you have not booked a parking reservation, there are other free ways to get to the mountain: the Mountaineer Shuttle, which offers free rides in Olympic Valley and Alpine Meadows, TART, and the free Park and Ride, available in both Truckee and Tahoe City with frequent rides between 6:30 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Revegetation
The revegetation team at Palisades Tahoe gets to work as soon as the lifts close, focusing on removing dead, dying, and diseased trees to promote the overall health of our forests. Their efforts also include identifying and addressing trees or hazards that could pose risks to skiers, riders, and grooming equipment. Thanks to their dedication and hard work, we could open Granite Chief earlier than usual, as their efforts created conditions requiring less snow coverage than normal.
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Disco Tubing
On Saturday, we will open SnoVentures and run disco tubing for the first time this season! Disco tubing is a fun activity for the whole family, featuring colorful LED lights, lasers, and live DJs from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Tahoe Live
This weekend, December 14-15, Tahoe Live is here! With Lil Wayne, Diplo, RL Grime, and Loud Luxury taking the stage at Palisades Tahoe, this isn’t just another concert—it’s a full-on experience. Palisades Tahoe gives you the best of both worlds. Ski by day and party by night with the stunning Sierra Nevada mountains as your backdrop.
HOW TO GET OPERATIONS UPDATES:
Bookmark these pages:
Not wanting to check the website constantly? Try these other methods:
- Follow our Mountain Operations X (formerly Twitter) account
- Sign up for the Palisades Tahoe Ski & Ride Report (Weather Blogs + Conditions Blogs are included here)
- Download the Palisades Tahoe App
