California mountain resorts brace for more snow as ski lifts buried by drifts
Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe has seen 530 inches – or 44 feet – of snow this ski season and is likely to break its all-time snowfall record. "These atmospheric rivers, you might get one or two in a season – we had ten," resort officials said.
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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Ca. – Images taken at Heavenly Mountain Resort in northern California last week show chairlifts that had disappeared under near-record snowfall.
Multiple rounds of atmospheric river storms have swept through the Golden State these past few weeks, bringing a deluge of rain and snow to the now-drenched region.
At Heavenly, atmospheric river storms have brought above-average snowfall. So far this season, Heavenly has seen a total of 530 inches – or 44 feet – of snow, with 101 inches falling in the first 15 days of March.
Rooftops peek over the snow at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
(Heavenly Mountain Resort / FOX Weather)
"The stats are unreal," said Tom Fortune, vice president and chief operating officer of Heavenly and the Tahoe Region.
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While an abundance of snow is usually welcomed at ski resorts such as Heavenly, the recent bombardment of snow from atmospheric river storms has posed a bit of a challenge regarding park operations.
In fact, on March 11, enough snow fell to halt operations at Heavenly and close the resort for three days.
"We have a thing where we never complain about getting too much snow, because there are so many years we really, really needed it and wanted it," Fortune said.
"But this year, we really have gotten to the point where, it's not that we don't want more snow, it's just nice having a break between the storms to be able to dig out and clean up," he added.
Fortune noted that the Heavenly team have had to do a tremendous amount of hand-shoveling to dig out chairlifts that had become buried in the snow.
![Chairs of ski lift buried in the snow.]()
Image 1 of 3Chairs of ski lift buried in the snow. (Heavenly Mountain Resort)
![Chairs of ski lift buried in the snow.]()
Image 2 of 3Chairs of ski lift buried in the snow. (Heavenly Mountain Resort)
![Chairs of ski lift buried in the snow.]()
Image 3 of 3Chairs of ski lift buried in the snow. (Heavenly Mountain Resort)
In addition to the significant snow levels, the atmospheric river storms brought powerful winds that created snowdrifts tall enough to cover the 50-foot-tall ski lift towers. Plus, lifts at a higher elevation of 10,000 feet were buried and encased in ice.
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With the many rounds of atmospheric river storms hitting Heavenly, Fortune said the Heavenly team hasn’t had much time in between the snow cycles brought by the storms.
Members of the Heavenly team.
(Heavenly Mountain Resort / FOX Weather)
"These atmospheric rivers, you might get one or two in a season – we had ten," he said of this season.
Despite the challenges brought by the extreme winter weather, Fortune notes the dedication of the Heavenly staff to keep the resort going.
Members of the Heavenly team.
(Heavenly Mountain Resort / FOX Weather)
"Every single day, I just have so much gratitude to the employees of our mountains who have shown up day after day, all winter long, with this record snowfall that we've seen," he said.
With several more weeks of the ski season to go and more atmospheric river storms on the horizon, more snow is forecast to fall at Heavenly – and potentially break the resort’s all-time snowfall record of 564 inches.