The hundreds of Sierra residents who lost power the last few days might not have been big fans of all the winter weather. But tourism officials are thrilled.
Chapman: "Snow definitely equals business up here."
Andy Chapman is with the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association. He says the 20 feet of snow on the ground right now are about twice as much as last year at this time - and ski resorts are hoping for record numbers.
Chapman: "Last winter was a very strong year. And we're seeing this season outpacing that year at this point in time."
In fact, the storm's timing couldn't be better - ahead of Christmas and schools' winter breaks. And Chapman thinks many tourists may have a little more disposable income this year after a rough economic patch. He's hoping Tahoe can lure Northern Californians who want to take a vacation but still stay close to home.
