Lake Tahoe ski resorts extend season; Squaw and Alpine aim to stay open until July 4

With hundreds of inches of snow covering the mountain of Lake Tahoe, four area ski resorts announced today they will be extending their ski season.

With a base snowpack of 21 feet, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows will be spinning lifts well into June and plan to offer skiing and riding on the 4th of July with as many lifts as possible, weather and conditions permitting. The resort has received more than seven feet of new snow in the last six days, bringing their season total to 565 inches or 47 feet. The resorts have already surpassed their annual average snowfall of 450 inches, and there are still two normally strong snow months left to go in the season. After topping its 45-year historic record for snowfall in a single month with 282 inches in January, Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows has received nearly 15 feet in February with seven days remaining. As of today, the resort has amassed 126% of its average annual snowfall, 63% of which fell in January alone.

The three Vail Resorts in Lake Tahoe, Heavenly, Kirkwood and Northstar also announced an extension to their ski seasons.

Amidst the largest snowpack in 22 years, Heavenly Mountain Resort will stay open daily through April 23, and reopen for the weekend of April 28 – 30; Northstar California will stay open through April 23 and skiers and riders at Kirkwood will enjoy spring skiing through April 16.

“We’re thrilled to offer guests great skiing and riding, as well as a variety of spring activities for visitors this spring at Heavenly and Northstar,” said Pete Sonntag, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Heavenly Mountain Resort. “With the record snowfall totals in January and continued snowfall throughout the season, we’re excited to offer guests an unparalleled experience at the mountains.”