Several ski areas at Lake Tahoe plan to open this month. A check of several Sierra ski-area webcams shows fresh snow covering many slopes.
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows reported nine-inches of fresh snow.
Melissa Matheney with Squaw Valley said the fresh snow gets people thinking about ski season. "The weekend snow kind of coated our mountain and we really have snow,” said Matheney. “We have snow on the upper mountain but we also have some snow down on the base level as well."
Snow from the recent storm helps, but it's snowmaking that ensures a November opening for many resorts, including Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.
Matheney said the investment in snowmaking machines is paying off.
"It's kind of like an insurance policy,” said Matheney. “It allows you to be able to count on having snow on the slopes. And, so with these very chilly temperatures overnight we've been making quite a bit of snow in addition to the snow that Mother Nature brought us over the weekend."
She said cooler temperatures are key for the artificial snow to stick.
Matheney said Squaw Valley plans to open November 26 and Alpine Meadows December 12.
Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe plans to open for skiing November 21.
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