Record Snowfall Leads to 21% Occupancy Increase in North Lake Tahoe this Winter

Epic storms in the Tahoe area this winter not only brought record-breaking snowfall but higher occupancy rates as well. Occupancy in North Lake Tahoe is up 21 % from last winter which includes data from hotels and property management companies, according to data from the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, reports The Sierra Sun.

• Related: Squaw Valley, CA Is Currently Experiencing Its 3rd Snowiest Season On Record!

Data collected from the resort association also shows that Transient Occupancy Taxes collected between July and December in 2018 are up 15 % from the same period in 2017, which equates to an additional $1.4 million.

“It’s very significant,” said Cindy Gustafson, chief executive officer of the resort association.

In the last decade, Gustafson said there has been steady growth in TOT collection during every quarter, with larger increases during the shoulder seasons. The tax collected between October and December is up 138 % from 10 years ago, while revenue collected between April and June has increased by 183 % in the same time period. Gustafson added that this winter also saw an increase in mid-week visitation compared to last winter.

Inntopia, a company that tracks lodging performances in destination areas across the country, released a report at the end of March on winter destinations in the West that included 290 property management companies in 18 mountain destinations across Colorado, Utah, California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho. The report showed that occupancy rates in ski towns across the West for the month of February were up 5.7 % compared to February of last year, leading to an 8.1 % increase in revenue. Compared to last winter occupancy is up 5.5 % so far, with data from March and April yet to be counted.

“It’s good everywhere right now. Years like this are phenomenal for the industry,” said Tom Foley, senior vice president of business operations and analytics for Inntopia. “North Lake is enjoying sometimes too much snow, but it’s a good problem to have.”

Squaw Valley received 313 inches for February, which broke a record of 196 inches at Squaw’s upper mountain, set in 2017.