A Weekend Powder Hour

Yes, there were some decent powder turns to be had this morning. But it was not long lasting. With the parking lots full and crowds excited about the powder day, things were schralped pretty quickly at Alpine Meadows. Then when you added in the effects of that big fireball in the sky, any small shreds of powder were quickly cooked into something that was much less pleasant to ski and ride.

We managed to sneak in four pretty good powder runs this morning before things went south. We managed that only because there were still a few hidden stashes out there, the kind we try really hard to not talk about at all here. Otherwise it would have been just a run or two. By the fifth and sixth run, you’re skiing 80% of your run through insta-moguls to get the 10% of hidden powder turns followed by another 10% of flat cobblestone runout. The great part of the day is actually pretty short lived and then the rest of the day is so lackluster in comparison. It’s the story of weekend storms in Tahoe. It’s not just at Alpine Meadows, it’s every ski area and every backcountry ski zone where the masses show up.

Once everything was cooked and bumped up, my enthusiasm for skiing diminishes rapidly. We again called it pretty early today. Then again, I also had to write a ski report for today, have dinner with some friends and enjoy some Mike Clark & The Sugar Sounds tonight.

More Snow?

The roughly 8 inches of new snow reported today seemed to be fairly accurate. It was deep enough for some floaty fun, but the underlying bumps and ruts from Friday were still there. Snow levels did not fall quite as far as expected. As we have seen time and time again this season, the low just sailed on down the coast into Southern California, keeping Tahoe in a warmer southerly flow of air on the eastern edge of the low. Snow levels ran closer to 5500 feet rather than the expected 3500-4000 feet.

If everything goes according to forecast, as the low moves inland tonight, we end up in the easterly flow. It could be a colder flow and the wraparound showers could produce another 12″ of snow according to the latest run of the HRRR model. Note that the blob of purple indicating higher amounts of snow is fairly targeted, rather than widespread. I would say “Don’t count those snowflakes before they fall.”

Monday through Wednesday look dry and warmer before another round of snow is possible as we head into the following weekend.

Some Events Of Note Today

• Mike Clark & The Sugar Sounds play tonight at the new Fox Hall Cultural Center in Kings Beach. The doors open at 7pm and the music will be from 8-11pm. With the event being produced by the people behind the Lost Sierra Hoedown, you can bet on a lot of Alpine Meadows folk being there. Tickets are $30 at the door.

• The Beacon & Eggs beacon search event, sponsored by the Alpine Meadows Ski Patrol will be happening tomorrow near the top of the Subway chair. Individuals or teams of four will search for buried beacons attached to a whole bunch of prizes, including a 24/25 Palisades Tahoe/Alpine Meadows pass. Guests should bring their own beacon, probe and shovel for the search. Registration is from 10-11:30 and is free.

• The traditional Golden Egg Hunt will also take place tomorrow on both the Alpine Meadows and the Palisades sides of the mountain. Word on the street is that the golden egg is much more easily found over at Palisades. One year, it was hidden like 50 feet from the Funitel entrance. It doesn’t get any easier than that! Maybe I can break my second place streak this year…

• The Tahoe Sports Hub Customer Appreciation Party is now on the schedule for Saturday, April 13th. Stop by for great deals on end of the season ski and board gear, free food, beer, a DJ and a whole lot of raffle prizes. I’m still waiting for my big win at this event too!