Skip to main content
Life

Weather Delays Ski Season Opening for Two Major Tahoe Resorts

Written by Maryann Jones ThompsonPublished Nov. 16, 2023 • 7:00am
Skiiers ride a lift overlooking a snowy mountain and a lake in the distance.
Heavenly skiers enjoy Lake Tahoe views on opening day 2022. Northstar and Heavenly announced that the first day of skiing would not happen this weekend. | Source: Courtesy Heavenly

The atmospheric river forecast to flow into Northern California this week took a hard left when it hit the coast, making things less soggy for APEC visitors to San Francisco but delaying the start of the 2023-24 ski season at two major Lake Tahoe resorts.

On Wednesday, Northstar and Heavenly announced that the first day of skiing would be pushed back. Both Tahoe resorts had planned to open this weekend, but the week’s lack of snowy weather and relatively warm daytime temps, well into the 50s, in recent days have pushed opening day to a later, undetermined date.

Palisades Tahoe told The Standard that it does not have plans to delay its opening day. The resort is currently scheduled to open on Nov. 22, the day before Thanksgiving.

The delays at Northstar and Heavenly will push weekend skiers to Mt. Rose and Mammoth Mountain, the only two Sierra ski resorts currently operating.

Mammoth’s opening day on Nov. 10 drew hundreds of skiers to the Eastern Sierra mountain, which received more than 700 inches of snow at its Main Lodge last season and enabled its lifts to run into August. 

The resort said a $5.5 million investment in snowmaking capacity and efficiency contributed to its solid coverage for opening day.

Questions, comments or concerns about this article may be sent to info@sfstandard.com


A picture of a coyote that was seen near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Golden Gate Park.

San Francisco Animal Control Urges Caution During Urban Coyote ‘Exploring’ Season


A little girl looks at holiday lights in awe.

Holiday Lights 2023: Where To See the Bay Area’s Most Festive Showcases


A woman is tandem skydiving, her hand is made into a shaka position suggesting she is having fun, and the background shows the Hawaii coast.

How My Skydiving Weekend in Hawaii Had a Terrifying Ending


A overhead shot from above of names of people who lost their lives to Aids written in chalk on the sidewalk.

Photos: San Francisco Gathers for World AIDS Day Events in the Castro, Golden Gate Park


A mansion's entrance with a poster offering a $10,000 reward is seen in an upscale San Francisco neighborhood.

San Francisco Mansion Offers $10K Reward for Arrest of Man Who Hopped Fence