New storm to arrive on Sunday; ski resorts prepare for brisk business

Winter weather continues through today in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Ski resorts report up to 2 feet of snow from the system which arrived Friday and continues today. The National Weather Service in Reno reports that a second and much colder storm will move into the area on Sunday into Monday, dropping temperatures and bringing more snow. Here is the latest from the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority on the storms:

Storm System Answers Pent-up Demand – Winter in Full Swing at Tahoe

Jan. 21, 2011 (South Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) – After two months of pray for snow parties, Mother Nature finally heard the call, leaving Tahoe snow enthusiasts dancing in the streets and skiing on the mountains with 2-feet of powder at area ski resorts in the last 24 hours. Storm trackers are calling for total accumulations of up to 5-feet by Monday, Jan. 23 at Tahoe South resorts.

“We’ve invoked time-tested formulas: removed the snow tires, been through the car wash, haven’t washed the ski socks – it worked,” said Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “This storm answers the pent-up demand, allows resorts to open more terrain and sets the tone for the remainder of the season that Tahoe is rolling!”

The current storm marks a return to the typical Tahoe winter phenomenon: snow in feet rather than inches, which portends a healthy ski season beyond Easter.

A fleet of city and state snow removal vehicles around the Lake Tahoe Basin will be keeping the roads clear and safe for travel. Caltrans has current California road conditions at www.dot.ca.gov or 1-800-427-ROAD (7623) or 916-445-7623. For road conditions in Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Transportation at www.nevadadot.com or 877-687-6237. Travelers can also get up-to-the-minute online road information and more on their smart phones at NV.mobi.

For the most up-to-date information on snowfall, mountain base depths and road conditions in South Lake Tahoe, check area ski resort web sites and cams or call snow phones: Heavenly Web Cams – 775-586-7000; Sierra-at-Tahoe Web Cams – 530-659-7475; Kirkwood Web Cams – 209-258-3000 and Heavenly Village Web Cams.

Competitions/Special Events:
Winter Snow Blast Weekends return to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe and Heavenly Mountain Resort: Jan. 28-29; Feb. 25-26; March 17-18; April 14-15. Festivities include on-mountain concerts at Heavenly’s Adventure Peak, après specials during ‘Unbuckle at Tamarack’ from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m., followed by live music at Harrah’s South Shore Room. www.LTSnowBlast.com or (800) 786-8208.

The Force is strong at Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort with the new Burton Star Wars TM Experience, the first snowboard park in the world that features iconic Star Wars themes to introduce children as young as 3 to snowboarding. The Burton Star Wars Experience combines Lucasfilm and Burton's industry-leading Learn To Ride hardgoods, teaching systems and Riglet Park features with Jedi Master Yoda's methods of balance, movement and control. The park will open as conditions allow. www.sierraattahoe.com

Sierra Resort will host the all-day Women's Camp Presented by Pop Outerwear, Jan. 29, with specially trained female instructors to build self-confidence and skills in a variety of categories: beginners, running gates, park/halfpipe, steeps or backcountry escape.

Monthly “Snowshoe Cocktail Races” run along the shores of Camp Richardson Resort’s Beacon Bar & Grill, Feb. 18 and March 10. Contestants race through the snow balancing a drink on a cocktail tray, around a course striving to be the fastest without spilling. Registration is free and prizes include rum runner mix, mountain sports rentals, boat rentals and dining certificates for the fastest time.

The Nike Chosen Rail Jam will visit Heavenly, Feb. 4, as part of a seven-stop national tour. More than 40 amateur riders will compete in a jam format for a cash prize. Contestants enter by submitting a video and the top finishers are invited to the event with the Nike Pro Riders.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort is home to the North America Freeskiing Championships, Feb 22-27, and welcomes expert skiers from across the country and around the Tahoe Basin to compete for the title. www.kirkwood.com.

The Tahoe Queen, an authentic Mississippi paddlewheeler, is offering Après Ski Cruise every Wednesday, beginning Feb. 1. The Tahoe Queen is bringing back its popular Ski Shuttle service. Running on Tuesdays and Thursdays from January 31-April, the shuttle/scenic cruise will take guests from Ski Run Marina to Northstar, serving a buffet-style breakfast as passengers enjoy the views of the lake. After docking at the Hyatt Regency, guests will enjoy a half day of skiing, an afternoon at the spa, shopping, or other activities at Northstar before returning to the boat for the best party on the lake featuring live entertainment with food and drink for purchase as the boat returns to South Shore. www.laketahoecruises.com

2012 Showroom Entertainment:
Illusion Fusion is a new, high-energy, family-friendly show in South Shore staring award-winning magician Alex Ramon. The ongoing production appears nightly (Thurs.-Mon.) in the Golden Cabaret at Horizon Casino and features mind-blowing illusions, slight-of-hand close-up, audience interaction and never-before-seen magic. Tickets are $24.95, with free tickets on Sundays for kids 12 and under (one free ticket with each paid adult).

Harrah’s South Shore Room 2012 lineup: Fitz & The Tantrums, Jan. 28; Tower of Power, Feb. 4; Los Lonely Boys, Feb. 11; Kenny Loggins, Feb. 18; G. Love & Special Sauce, Feb. 25; George Thorogood & The Destroyers, March 3.
MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa’s 2012 lineup: The Expendables, Feb. 11; Wayne Brady, Feb. 18; Iration w/Trevor Hall & Thrive, Feb. 25; 311 w/The Dirty Heads, March 6; Sublime with Rome, March 11. Saturday Nights at the Pool - the new Onsen Beach & Nightclub offers, $50,000 worth of sound and lighting, $200 hot body contests, DJ David Aaron, Poolside Aerialists, Jacuzz, Jan. - March with free admission for Heavenly Season Pass holders. www.montbleuresort.com

For real promotions, packages, conditions and events in Tahoe South, The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TahoeSouth, Twitter: www.twitter.com/SouthShoreTahoe, YouTube: www.youtube.com/LTVA and now the Tahoe South mobile app in the App Store and Android Market. For information about Tahoe South, call 1-800-AT-TAHOE (1-800-288-2463) or visit www.TahoeSouth.com.