Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe will open its lifts on Friday, the resort announced Monday, marking the official start to the ski season in Lake Tahoe.
A winter storm dropped 2 to 4 inches of powder on the Nevada resort Tuesday, enabling it to open one day earlier than last year—and giving skiers and boarders something fun to look forward to this Veterans Day weekend. A much bigger storm system might be brewing for next week.
The base at Mount Rose sits at 8,260 feet, the highest ski area in the Tahoe region, which gives it an edge in snowmaking. Skiers can reach the lifts in less than a half hour from either Incline Village or Reno, making it a favorite destination for locals. Its free parking is another plus.
Mammoth Mountain also opens Friday. The massive Eastern Sierra destination closed only four months ago—in early August—after a historic 2022-23 season that enjoyed 900 inches of snowfall and lasted 275 days, the second-longest in the resort’s history. Bay Area skiers can reach Mammoth in just six hours this time of year on Highway 50, passing all the yet-to-open resorts in South Tahoe along the way.
With a summit that exceeds 11,000 feet, making it California’s highest ski resort, Mammoth has also been busy blowing snow and has already been blessed with several inches of natural powder.
When Ski Resorts Will Open
The significant storm forecast to bear down on Northern California next week could likely make for excellent conditions for the opening day at Northstar and Heavenly on Nov. 17. Boreal is also slated to open that day.
Opening day at Palisades Tahoe will arrive on Nov. 23, just in time for some apres-ski Thanksgiving turkey.
Smaller mountains around Tahoe, including Granlibakken, Sugar Bowl and Soda Springs, will also open over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The rest of the region will turn on the lifts in December. Check the table below for the 2023-24 opening dates.
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