South Shore Lake Tahoe prepares for second round of winter season

With snow on the way in time for the weekend, South Shore Lake Tahoe has a number of activities at ski resorts, lodges and casinos lined up now through spring. Besides skiing and snow boarding at Sierra Resort, Heavenly and Kirkwood there's concerts, contests and festivals planned in the weeks ahead.

With ski resorts reporting excellent conditions thanks mostly to Mother Nature's December fury with storms dumping more than 9 feet of snow in the Sierra, the arrival of fresh snow today and into Friday has a lot of people at South Shore excited for round two of winter. As they say in Tahoe: Itsallgood.

Below is a news release from Lake Tahoe Visitor's Authority announcing all the upcoming winter festivities at South Shore.

TAHOE SOUTH’S SKIING, ECONOMIC OUTLOOK MATCH THE VIEWS

Feb. 7, 2013 (Lake Tahoe, Calif./Nev.) – Abundant snowfall covered the “Best Lake in America” (USA Today) at the close of 2012 and has left Tahoe South ski resorts with expansive runs and mountains of groomed top-to-bottom coverage heading into Presidents’ Day weekend with chance of snow this week.

Heavenly Mountain Resort, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Kirkwood Mountain Resort report some of the best ski and board conditions in recent memory, after the barrage of snow storms that arrived before Christmas left the resorts with 9-12 feet in December.

With January's record-setting arctic blast that sent temperatures falling well below zero meant the snow stayed really fresh. Tens of thousands snowsport enthusiasts have already enjoyed the mountain resorts and hotels to take in Tahoe South's winter wonderland.

"Snowfall totals going into February and Presidents' weekend are among the top in the country and our snowiest months (historically) are upon us,” said Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. "Many of our lodging properties have reported high occupancy figures during the holidays and see the trend continuing this month."

When it comes to crowd-wowing competition and events, the resorts have it covered. Building on Heavenly Mountain Resort's long-standing tradition of freestyle skiing and competition continues with the U.S. Freestyle Championships, March 29-31.

Sierra-at-Tahoe will host its USASA Halfpipe competition March 3 attracting some of the nation's best up-and-coming snowboard stars. Meanwhile, its Women's Camp will kick off spring at the resort March 9-10, featuring female pros who will teach their on-mountain ski and snowboard techniques to anyone who signs up.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort brings the Swatch Freeride World Tour, which combines the Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding to create one unified global championship series. The only US event in the six-stop world tour is Feb. 27-March 3.

Outdoor adventure will mix with indoor experience when the 5th Annual Snowcial returns to Heavenly Feb. 27 - March 2. The social media and marketing technology conference combines skiing/riding, social media leaders, ongoing education and headliner entertainment with G. Love & Special Sauce at Harrah’s Showroom, March 2. Speakers will include digital gurus from Edelman and Deloitte, scientists from Facebook and Walmart, and the marketing experts from GoPro, Nestle and Salesforce.com.

The bar tables get turned upside down for a bit of friendly competition at Camp Richardson Feb. 16 and again March 16 when dozens of participants line up, strap on snowshoes and race to the finish at the annual Snowshoe Cocktail Race.

Entertainment and Nightlife
Tahoe South's call of the winter wild extends from daytime hours on the slopes to its nightlife epicenter with star-studded entertainment, Grammy winning musicians, live music, lounge acts, 24-hour gaming and an active bar and social scene.

Romance is in the air for Valentine's Day with an array of options to intimate dining, mingling or dancing the night away. "Love the Wine You're With" - for Après Wine Company four-course Valentine's Day Dinner with champagne for starters and wine paired with each course. The Singles Mixer is available onboard the Tahoe Queen and includes appetizers, optional Speed Dating, beer/ wine specials, DJ Dance Party and complimentary entry to MontBleu's Opal after the mixer. The M.S. Dixie II offers a night under the stars with live music, dancing and a four-course dining event.

Arriving with winter are two new Tahoe South hotspots: PEEK and Boogies Nights. Harrah's Lake Tahoe will debut PEEK Nightclub over Presidents' Day Weekend, featuring an opening weekend mega-party with international socialite, Paris Hilton, on Saturday night, Feb. 16. Warming up for Hilton on Friday night will be JWOWW of the TV Show "Jersey Shore."

Boogie Nights, a '70s and '80s-themed dance party, offers Lake Tahoe Saturday night fits of Technicolor fever all winter long at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe entertainment includes Elvin Bishop, Feb. 16; G. Love & Special Sauce, March 2; Jose Feliciano, March 9; Elvin Bishop, April 6.

MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa showroom entertainment/events line-up features Taboo (of the Black Eyed Peas), Feb. 8; Allure: A Pop Rock Burlesque, Feb. 14; Iration, Feb. 15; George Benson, Feb. 17; Pool Party at Onsen Beach & Nightclub, Feb. 17; Comedian Jo Koy, Feb. 23; Sound Tribe Sector 9, Feb. 28; The Expendables, March 6; WFC/MMA at the Lake, Mar 15; Umphrey's McGee, March 17; Pool Party at Onsen Beach & Nightclub, March 17; and Rob Schneider, March 23.

Getting to Tahoe South
The drive to Tahoe South from the Reno International Airport has been shortened via the new I-580 freeway. The six-lane, 65-mile-per-hour freeway is safer with new anti-icing technology and more convenient, reducing drive time by approximately 10 minutes. When factoring in the convenience of Reno Tahoe International Airport, voted the top airport for skiers by SKI Magazine, getting to South Lake Tahoe from the east has never been easier. South Tahoe Express also offers eight non-stop luxury coach shuttles from the airport daily; driving from the Bay Area is only a three plus-hour drive or a two-hour drive from Sacramento.

For real time updates on events, promotions, packages, conditions and events in Tahoe South, The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TahoeSouth, Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TahoeSouth, YouTube: www.youtube.com/LTVA. For Tahoe South information: 1-800-AT-TAHOE (1-800-288-2463) or www.tahoesouth.com.