Iconic Lake Tahoe ski resort doesn’t know when it will open for winter sports because there simply isn’t enough snow
Lake Tahoe’s largest ski resort has been forced to delay its opening thanks to a startling lack of snow.
Palisades Tahoe planned to open before Thanksgiving, on November 26, and welcome holiday guests to its Olympic-level mountains.
The resort announced on Sunday that the delay was the result of ‘limited natural snowfall and short, inconsistent windows for snowmaking.’
‘So far, early-season storms have brought only light accumulations, and the cold, dry conditions needed to build a safe, durable snow base haven’t materialized yet,’ the resort said.
Like many ski resorts, Palisades does have the ability to produce snow, but the process requires specific conditions that have not been met by the natural elements.
‘Our snowmaking team has fired up equipment during every available cold snap, but those opportunities have been brief,’ the resort explained.
‘Even if it feels cold, high humidity can prevent snowmaking.’
Palisades promised to automatically refund any snow-lovers who already made reservations for the week of Thanksgiving.

Lake Tahoe’s largest ski resort, Palisades Tahoe, was forced to delay its winter opening

Palisades ski resort has experienced an unseasonably warm November leading to a lack of snow
However, the resort encouraged guests to visit anyway and engage in some of their other seasonal activities, including scenic tram rides, holiday shopping, and Thanksgiving dinner.
‘This weekend is a reminder that winter is about more than snow. It’s about time well spent with the people you love,’ it said.
On the Snow reported that current snow levels at Lake Tahoe are only 42 percent of the November average.
Palisades Tahoe reports an average snowfall of 400 inches every winter. In past Novembers, it recorded an average of 40 inches and temperatures that range between 24 to 47 degrees.
But this year the average has skyrocketed to the 50s and 60s with limited precipitation, according to Accuweather.
The resort’s typically snow-capped mountains are famous for hosting the 1960 Olympic Winter Games.
That year marked the first Winter Games to be held in the western United States and the first televised Olympics, according to the resort’s website.

The 6,000-acre, 288-trail winter wonderland welcomes more than half a million winter sports enthusiasts each year

Palisades sees an average of 400 inches of snow every season

Snow lovers may not be off the slopes for too much longer as forecasts predict snowfall the first week of December
The 6,000-acre, 288-trail winter wonderland welcomes more than half a million winter sports enthusiasts each year, per California Parks.
It joins several other Lake Tahoe resorts that have been forced to delay their openings thanks to the unseasonable weather.
Boreal ski resort in North Tahoe announced the morning of its expected opening on November 21 that it would be delaying the start of ski season.
Nearby Northstar resort failed to put an opening date on their calendar altogether, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
But area resorts may not be down for too much longer.
Palisades predicted imminent snowfall, with forecasts showing incoming snow the first week of December.
‘A strong forecast for snowmaking is on the horizon, and our teams are primed to move the moment temps and storms line up,’ the resort in a social media post.