Late-season snow gives one last chance to ski Tahoe this Memorial Day weekend

By Dave Zook

San Francisco Chronicle

It’s been a winter for the ages in Tahoe, with barely an end in sight. In February, Squaw Valley recorded its all-time highest snowfall for a single month with 313 inches (read: almost 1 foot per day on average). The region rolled into a wonderfully average March, and then to a quintessentially warm and sunny spring.

Summer looked to be on the horizon, with trails beginning to melt out in April. But then a flurry of mid-May storms arrived, and we’re heading into Memorial Day weekend with boot-deep powder on the slopes.

Historically, the Tahoe region has seen active weather patterns through May, with 80 of the last 109 years recorded measuring more than a trace of snow in the area. As of Thursday morning, Tahoe City had received 239 inches of snow since Oct. 1 — 129% of the usual snowfall for the water year, said Mark Faucette, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Unsettled weather patterns could produce a little bit of snowfall through the holiday weekend at elevations above 7,500 feet, according to the National Weather Service.

After a month of warm weather, the Tahoe area has become a choose-your-own adventure for the holiday weekend, with plenty of lift-served skiing and some snow-free — but likely muddy — hiking trails.

While it is technically springtime, count on any outdoor area above 7,000 feet to still be packed with snow. For the determined hiker, a great area that melts early is Martis Valley, just 10 minutes south of Truckee on Highway 267. Check out the trails in Waddle Ranch Preserve for relatively flat, 3-to-5-mile hikes.