SNOW, SUN, TRAFFIC ALL AWAIT IN TAHOE
Travelers heading to Sierra snow should ready for packed hotels and crowded roads
With Presidents Day arriving just in time for near-perfect ski conditions and many Bay Area schools out for mid-winter break next week, Lake Tahoe-bound drivers can expect sunshine — but a perfect storm of traffic this weekend.
The notoriously jammed stretch between the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada takes about three and a half hours on a typical day, either through Interstate 80 or Highway 50. This weekend drivers should ready themselves for upwards of five hours on the road if they start the journey at peak travel times.
Traffic is expected to heat up Friday around noon and turn highways into parking lots by the late afternoon for skiers leaving the Bay Area. Monday around noon will also see a crush of weekenders returning to the Bay Area.
“Be prepared for long lines,” said Officer Mike Brown, with California Highway Patrol in South Lake Tahoe. “People need to have patience. I'm sure there is going to be a lot of traffic.”
The flood of drivers is expected in part because the Sierra Nevada snowpack hit its highest level in nearly three decades after a series of atmospheric river storms pummeled the state. That means Lake Tahoe's iconic ski resorts, including Heavenly, Northstar, and Palisades Tahoe are operating at full tilt. On Wednesday, the Central Sierra snowpack was at 190% of normal for this time of year.
“We're about to hit 400 inches of snow and that's usually our season total,” said Patrick Lacey, a spokesperson for Palisades Tahoe, which recently merged with Alpine Meadows to create a single megaresort united by a 2.4-mile, $65 million gondola. Lacey said the resort's thousands of parking spots are expected to fill up and he encouraged people to arrive as early as possible in the morning and to carpool.
Traffic woes are not over once you enter the Tahoe Basin. Lake Tahoe is in the midst of a crushing traffic problem that led Fodor's travel guide to put the destination on its infamous “no list” for 2023, due to the impact of tailpipe emissions on the local environment.
“If you don't get here early, probably don't come,” said Lacey. “That's our biggest suggestion right now.”
Carol Chaplin, president of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said many hotels are trending towards 100% capacity and the region's economy is getting a much-needed boost after recent years plagued by wildfires and drought.
“The snowpack is light and fluffy and creamy and yummy and it's sunny,” said Chaplin. “This is what we're known for, you get those big storms and then you get big sun.”
Along with the Presidents Day weekend, many Bay Area schools are heading into a midwinter break — colloquially termed “ski week” — allowing families to hop in their cars and head to the mountains.
Brown with the CHP said those planning to brave the traffic on Friday should hit the road in the morning. If you're leaving Tahoe on Monday, Brown recommends beating the rush of hotel checkouts.
“A lot of the checkout times up here are 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. and that's when a lot of the people go,” he said. “So either get out early like 7 a.m., or 8 a.m. or later in the afternoon.”
One thing Bay Area driv
ers don't have to worry about is bad weather, according to the latest forecast. This weekend will see cold mornings giving way to sunny days with highs in the upper 40s in Lake Tahoe with light winds and no precipitation.
“We're expecting quiet conditions,” said Idamis Del Valle-Shoemaker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. “Every time we get a call usually there's something happening, but not this weekend.”