Fireworks and barbecue might be traditional Fourth of July activities, but if you’re in the mood for something different, California would like to offer a ski trip as a possibility.
A series of atmospheric rivers that have slammed into the state have resulted in near record snowfall in the Lake Tahoe region. As a result, at least one ski resort, Palisades Tahoe, says it plans to stay open through the July Fourth holiday.
“It’s going to be a summer to remember: We will be skiing and snowboarding at Alpine on the 4th of July,” the resort said in a blog post.
Both the Palisades and Alpine terrains will be open through May 29, 2023. In June, Palisades will close for work on a sizable project the resort says needs to take place, despite the prime skiing conditions. Alpine will be open on the weekends and the Fourth.
While the 12 major storms that have hit the West Coast over the past few months have captured headlines mostly for the flooding they have caused throughout the state, ski resorts have been enjoying the regular blizzards, after years of lower-than-normal snowfall.
Atmospheric rivers, a meteorological term that few were familiar with before this string of storms, are bands of moisture that act like a fire hose when they hit land, dumping rain and snow for thousands of miles. The parade of storms in 2023 have helped cut the drought in California, but have resulted in widespread flooding throughout the state—and the snowfall could result in more flooding as spring thawing begins.
Since the beginning of the year, some areas of the state have received nearly 40 inches of rain. Downtown Los Angeles has seen over 25 inches. And in San Diego County, more rain has fallen in the past 2.5 months than in all of 2022.