Weather
A light, showery Sierra storm cycle is the main ski-weather feature from Saturday into Monday, with the best odds for meaningful accumulation focused south of the Tahoe basin. Expect dense to moderate spring snow during colder bursts, snow levels dropping from near 8,000 feet toward 6,000-6,500 feet, and generally modest totals, while a warmer and mostly dry pattern takes over midweek. Most listed resorts are currently closed, so the most actionable lift-served impacts are at Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth.
Saturday through Monday brings the most organized precipitation of the forecast, but it remains a light spring storm rather than a major refill. The individual models converge on timing, with showers building Saturday afternoon and evening, continuing Sunday, and tapering by Monday night or early Tuesday. They also converge on the falling snow-level trend, while intensity is more uneven by location. Dodge Ridge, Bear Valley, and Kirkwood are favored for 5-8 inches, Mammoth is closer to 3-4 inches, and open terrain at Palisades Tahoe is in the 2-3 inches range.
Snow quality should be mixed, starting dense and improving at times in colder convective showers. Forecast SLRs during the snow are mostly 8-11, with brief lighter pockets near or above 14 possible but not dominant; that points to dense to moderate spring snow, especially below the higher ridges. The individual models are fairly aligned on moderate wind impacts during the storm, though exposed mountain gusts can still reach 30-40 mph this weekend, enough to affect upper-mountain comfort at open resorts even if the snowfall totals stay modest.
From Tuesday afternoon through Friday, the individual models converge on a warmer and mostly dry reset. Temperatures trend into the 40s and 50s at many mountain forecast points during the warmer part of the day, winds are generally lighter, and there is no meaningful snow signal during that stretch. Next weekend into Monday, the models diverge on whether weak showers return; most keep the signal minor, and the broader late-period pattern favors above-normal temperatures with uncertain precipitation, so any renewed snow looks light and speculative rather than a committed storm.
Resort Forecast Totals (Sat Apr 25 – Tue Apr 28)
- Dodge Ridge – 6-8 in
- Bear Valley – 5-7 in
- Kirkwood – 5-7 in
- Mammoth – 3-4 in
- Sugar Bowl – 2-3 in
- Palisades Tahoe – 2-3 in
- Mt. Rose – 1-2 in
- Heavenly – 1-2 in
- Diamond Peak – 1 in
- Northstar – 1 in
