One Year Later…

As many are aware, today marks the one year anniversary of the sudden shutdown of the Tahoe ski industry, and much of the rest of the world, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It sure taught me a lesson about making sure we treasure every moment we can when it comes to sliding on snow! I was just tallying how I have spent the last year of my life, and skiing at Alpine Meadows does come in first place, at 111 days.

It was two very different days at Alpine over the weekend. Saturday was sunny and warm, with soft snow conditions all over the mountain. There were also two major events that drew teams from all around Tahoe for either the race at Kangaroo or the big mountain comp on High Yellow. The parking lots filled all of the way to Deer Park very quickly in the morning. Fortunately, Hidden Valley was not utilized for parking, as I am betting the numbers of visitors was close to being the maximum it has been this season…or at least in the top 3.

For Sunday, a cloudy and windy forecast and much colder temperatures moderated the number of visitors. The downside was that much of the terrain that got really warm yesterday was firm and icy this morning. That left only the frontside lifts to carry most of the weight.

We’ve said time and time again that the parking lot capacity is a good match for the skier capacity at Alpine Meadows. Where things get dicy is when you’re looking for a place to have a bite to eat or drink. The Sun Deck at the lodge was pretty frightening for most of the day Saturday, and the Chalet was not any better. Yesterday was the first time I took a look into the Meadows Cafe, saw a big line and said “No thanks!”

The email from SVAM today noted that due to Placer County shifting into the “Red” classification, limited indoor dining will be soon available. Indeed, I noticed that some tables have been set up inside the lodge, accommodating up to 100 people indoors. They still need to work out a plan to monitor the tables to keep people rotating through, and to sanitize tables after each group vacates. Again, “No thank you”, I will continue eating outside or in my car.

I also noticed on Saturday that there were not enough mask compliance monitors to cover all of the major lifts. That meant that compliance was way lower, especially as it got warm in the afternoon. Some guests that I reminded seemed to believe that pandemic is now over since about 10% of the country has been vaccinated. Being 59 years young, I’m guessing I won’t see a vaccination until the ski season is over.

Over the last two months, the messaging from marketing has shifted gears from helping guests understand COVID compliance to the old “powder, powder, powder” messaging. It’s working when it comes to meeting the bottom line, but it’s troublesome for those of us that want to get through the ski season without a case of COVID.

Speaking of that “powder, powder, powder” messaging – we’re still on track for another significant system to move through Tahoe overnight. There’s some different forecasts coming out of the Reno and Sacramento offices of NOAA. It makes sense as looking at the models, there is very little forcing past the crest of the Sierra. Check out the NAM model below showing total precipitation over the next 24 hours, almost none of it makes it into Nevada.

The western slope of the Sierra is forecast to get 1-2 feet out of this system, which is why there is a Winter Storm Warning on the west slope. For the Tahoe Basin, there is only a Winter Weather Advisory posted. The point forecast for Alpine Meadows calls for 3-7 inches overnight and another 2-4 inches during the day Monday. So a foot of snow at the top of Summit does seem like a reasonable number. Snow levels will also go back as low as 2000 feet, which will keep snow to water ratios high, meaning lighter powder. Hopefully the winds will remain calm enough to get the whole mountain open.