winter

Finding a spot to build a snowman or do a little snowshoeing will be a little easier this winter as Placer County’s Squaw Valley Park in Olympic Valley will remain open to offer a free snow play option for visitors and residents.

The park’s parking area will be plowed all winter long, creating a free and convenient place to park and play.

There will be two homes for the Warm Room this winter, and the first one opens on Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m.

From December 24 - December 31, 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) will open the Warm Room at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church located at 2733 Lake Tahoe Boulevard. Access to the room will be through the lower parking lot in the back of the church, not through the front door.

"We appreciate the support of the local faith community for rallying behind our common missions of service," said the Coalition.

It most likely won't be a white Christmas in Lake Tahoe, but snow is headed to the Sierras this Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. It is a quick moving storm but has a chance to leave behind the much-needed snow. Christmas Day is expected to be sunny and cold, with a high of 39, low around 12.

Plan on slippery road conditions during the morning commute Wednesday from Lake Tahoe to Reno and the Carson Valley. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches are forecast for lake level, with up to 10 inches expected above 7000 feet.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Jamie Anderson has always had success at Dew Tour events, and her Saturday second-place finish in the women’s slopestyle snowboarding final in Breckenridge, Colorado, got her something much more than another medal.

As the top American woman on the podium, Anderson qualified for her second Olympic Winter Games and earned the chance to defend her title in PyeongChang in February. She will also be able to add a medal in another event as all slopestyle riders will also compete in big air as it makes its Olympic debut.

After meeting with the City, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, police, neighbors and other interested parties, the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) is one step closer to opening a warm room for the winter in South Lake Tahoe and could be open by January 1, 2018.

All winter long, Sierra at Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Aleworx are sponsoring Sierra Cinemas, movies under the stars and next to the fire pits at The Crossing in South Lake Tahoe.

This Saturday, December 16, there are two movies for everyone of all ages to enjoy for free. Sierra Avalanche Dogs will be the beneficiary of fundraising efforts during the evening.

Starting at 5:00 p.m., "Christmas Vacation" by National Lampoon will be on the screen, followed by “Tight Loose” by Teton Gravity Research.

Are you a college student looking for an internship this winter? Are you a retired school teacher who misses your students or providing education? Or maybe you simply love the outdoors and want to be involved in your community?

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is looking for volunteers to assist with their Winter Trek and Ski with a Ranger conservation education programs at Heavenly Mountain Resort from January through March 2018.

Internationally acclaimed Tintabulations Handbell Ensemble returns to ring in the 2017 holiday season. 'Winter Wanderings' presents musical tales of this magical time of year. Guiding their audience through an enchanting holiday journey of beautifully interwoven lush harmonies, haunting melodies, stridently joyous themes, with their usual touch of added humor, their artful sharing of musical talents and love of handbells radiates through to the delight of all in attendance. Join TIntabulations Handbell Ensemble for a magically entertaining holiday concert.

Getting new coats as gifts and need a place for your gently used old ones? The South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Department is holding their annual Coats for Kids Drive starting December 26, 2017.

Bins will be set up at the two stations, Station 1 at 1252 Ski Run Boulevard and Station 2 at 2101 Lake Tahoe Boulevard from December 26 - January 31, 2018. The donated coats will be distributed to Choices for Children and Tahoe Youth & Family Services and will keep kids, from the little ones to teenagers, warm and protected from Tahoe's cold winter.

Brrrrrr...

The week ahead in South Lake Tahoe will be a clear one, but very cold as a strong high pressure system builds over the Sierra causing prolonged periods of strong morning inversions.

The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a wind advisory for Lake Tahoe from 1:00 p.m. Monday to 10:00 a.m. Tuesday. Winds will be from the East 15-25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Over the ridges will be as high as 80 mph.

The Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT) will continue prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks, weather permitting. Lake Valley, North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service will conduct prescribed fire operations in multiple areas around Lake Tahoe. Smoke may be present.

A. Airport East - 1 acre
B. West 1st Creek - 25 acres
C. Diamond Peak Ski Area - 23 acres
D. Champagne Rd - 9 acres
E. Dale Drive - 1 acre
F. Cave Rock Area - 5 acres
G. Upper Kingsbury - 3 acres

This opinion piece has been updated.

Cozy up by the fire with us and enjoy an evening of light appetizers, drinks, and live music from violinist Ellen Flanagan. Shop discounted prices on Keep Tahoe Blue holiday gifts. Make your own free Lake Tahoe keepsake using reclaimed, lake-shaped wooden pieces.

Please carpool as parking is limited and the Lake will thank you!

RSVP to www.keeptahoeblue.org/wonderland

For questions, please email events@keeptahoeblue.org.

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The grand hall at MontBleu Casino Resort has been turned into a holiday paradise, a winter wonderland with the main attraction being the specialty Christmas trees.

On Thursday, local celebrities and media strolled by each of the designer trees, selecting those that won top honors of Most Elegant, Best Theme, Most Creative and Best of Show.

The excellent work on each made it almost impossible to come up with a winner, but four were chosen after much deliberation. Each tree will be paired with a special prize package during a live auction at Saturday's Gala.

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless is grateful to the Sierra Health Foundation for awarding a grant of $15,000 for the operation of the South Lake Tahoe Warm Room in 2017-2018. The Sierra Health Foundation is an independent foundation committed to supporting health-related activities in Northern California. The South Lake Tahoe Warm Room is an overnight emergency shelter that operates only during the winter months in our community.

The following are the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) projects around Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Vehicles without the proper traction control device on their cars while on El Dorado County roads this winter may be fined and/or towed.

Massive traffic jams on Sundays in Meyers throughout last winter led drivers onto side streets without chains or snow tires on their vehicles, creating a parking lot of disabled cars that were stuck in the snow. Those drivers attempting to circumvent traffic ended up using Manda, North Upper Truckee and other local roads but a new ordinance will try and alleviate those issues.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort kicked off their 2017-2018 ski season Friday. They have opened four of their 15 lifts (1,5,6,11), giving access to 250 acres of skiing on 15 percent of their terrain.

Operating hours at this time are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Heavenly is open in South Lake Tahoe, with Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and Mt. Rose open on the North Shore. Northstar was originally planning on opening Friday but instead will announce their opening day on November 27.

New at "The Wood" this year:

Red Cliffs Family Lodge

The following is California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) roadwork projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin and El Dorado County.

Note: Most traffic-interfering work will be limited from 6 a.m. Wednesday, November 22 through Sunday, November 26 because of the Thanksgiving holiday.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

Three skiers in the Hourglass Bowl area on Tamarack Peak near Mt. Rose triggered a 600 foot long avalanche around 10:45 a.m. Thursday. Nobody was seriously injured though two of the party were slammed into trees and rocks according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.

Heavy new snow was falling rapidly at the time. The avalanche was about three feet deep and 200 feet wide.

A group of 4 or 5 were skiing in the area, with three of them involved in the slide. Two of the skiers lost their skis and another had a possible broken ankle.

The Brockway substation in Kings Beach was switched back into service Tuesday evening at 8:00 p.m. The 50+ year old substation had been temporarily shut down for necessary repairs due to damage sustained during this year’s winter storms.

A new transformer was installed to replace equipment that had caught on fire during extreme weather experienced in the Lake Tahoe region in January and February "Snowmegeddon."

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is testing their avalanche control above Highway 50 and Echo Summit on Tuesday, November 14. Some cannons were tested during the morning and another set will be tested in early afternoon.

Some loud booms will be heard around the South Shore during testing.

Lake Valley, North Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Douglas fire protection districts, California State Parks, California Tahoe Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service will continue Lake Tahoe Basin prescribed fire operations over the next several weeks, weather permitting. Operations are scheduled to take place at or near D.L. Bliss State Park, Carnelian Bay, Kings Beach, Incline Village, Diamond Peak Ski Resort area, Glenbrook, upper and lower Kingsbury Grade and south and east of the Lake Tahoe Airport.

South Shore

The Friends of the Library present Sierra Strings of Tahoe for an afternoon of music to usher in winter and the holiday season. This locally celebrated group will enchant you with a variety of songs. Free and open to all ages, light refreshments provided.

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