General Conditions

Spring-like conditions have been the norm at Donner Summit for the past week with temperatures in the mid-50s and mostly sunny skies. The Central Sierra Snow Laboratory (https://cssl.berkeley.edu) reports 0.0 inches of new snow in the past 7 days. The season total is 232.7 inches, compared to a median 254.4 inches on the same date over 1991-2020, so we have slipped back under the “normal” curve after being slightly above a week ago. We have about 5 feet of net accumulation at a homemade snow gauge in our back yard (a shaded, northeast-facing slope at 7000 ft). There are places around the Summit with no snow cover.

Check local webcams at Sugar Bowl (https://www.sugarbowl.com) and Donner Ski Ranch (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com) for up-to-the-minute views of local conditions.

Today’s (February 27) sunrise was at 6:35 AM, sunset will be at 5:51 PM. Sunrise is drifting earlier by about 11 minutes each week. Sunset is drifting later — by about 7 minutes each week. The days are getting longer — by 2-1/2 minutes each day; these rates will continue into May when we can start to feel as though it’s summer again.

Venus was at its easternmost elongation from the Sun almost two months ago (when it was brightest and trailing sunset by about 3 hours). It is still the brightest object in the evening sky about 30° above the southwestern horizon at sunset. 6:30 PM is an excellent time to check out the planets. At that time and closer to overhead, you should be able to spot Jupiter, which is almost as bright. Mars was at opposition — when it is opposite the Sun as seen from Earth and at its brightest — a month ago. Look for it at 6:30 PM when it and the Gemini twins are slightly east of overhead. They form a triangle; Mars is the orange, more westerly, one.

Forecast

The daytime high temperature today is forecast to be 55°, the overnight low tonight should be around 30°. There will be more sun than clouds. Expect similar conditions (but fewer clouds) tomorrow; Saturday will be about 3° cooler. Sunday will be more seasonal with a high/low range 32°/26° and 2-6 inches of new snow. Snow will continue Monday but don’t expect much new accumulation (less than an inch). There could be another 1-3 inches next Wednesday before temperatures stabilize at 40°/25° and precipitation pauses to finish the week. Sunday (March 9) there could be 1-3 inches of new snow during the day and 5-8 inches the following night. Snow will continue into Monday with another 6-11 inches in the forecast. The middle of that week will have moderate amounts of new snow.

If you want to recreate outdoors at Donner Summit over the nest two weekends, Saturdays look good and Sundays will be snowy. This Saturday (March 1) will have a high temperature of 52° and mostly sunny skies; next Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high of 45°.

Forests and Fires

February 27 (Thursday, TODAY) 5:30-7 PM: Forest Futures Salon, organized by the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, will explore the meaning of stewardship — from climate action to ecological protection, from community engagement to Indigenous values. Speakers will underscore the urgency of restoring Tahoe’s ecosystems for reasons both local and global — and illuminate how our well-being is intimately tied to that of our forests. Free and open to the public upon registration. Location: Coffeebar Bakery, 12047 Donner Pass Road, Truckee. Space is limited. Refreshments will be provided. More info: https://www.ttcf.net/projects-programs/forest-futures/forest-futures-salons/ Registration: https://ttcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=3476

Monthly Snow and Weather Briefing

February 28 (Friday), 1 PM: The monthly (virtual) briefing from the Central Sierra Snow Lab will be given tomorrow at 1 PM by Andrew Schwartz, CSSL Director. Topics include February storms, March 1 California snow survey, reservoir and snowpack conditions around the western U.S., expected conditions over the next 7-10 days, and the longer term outlook as we move into spring and the “melt” season.

Zoom link: https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/98682156402

Meeting ID: 986 8215 6402 and Passcode: 242837

Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl is open daily 9 AM – 4 PM. Sugar Rush Tubing is open daily 10-4. Check their web site for more information (https://www.sugarbowl.com).

Events (for details go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/events):

Sugar Bowl’s dining room and Belt Room bar are open until 9 PM each night. Enjoy Raclette Night in the Belt Room 6-9 PM each Friday.

March 1, 8 AM: Banked Slalom — a ‘snake-run’ course specifically designed for this event.

March 15: Open to Shred — a day of diversity, culture, and community on the slopes including a ski parade and party laps.

March 16: Sugar Bowl Uphiller — see how many human-powered round trips you can make to Mt. Lincoln during a single day.

Boreal / Woodward

Boreal (the mountain) is open daily 9 AM – 8 PM. Tahoe Tubing opens at 9:30 AM. Woodward (indoors) is open Monday-Friday noon – 8 PM and weekends 10 AM – 8 PM. Check https://www.rideboreal.com

Boreal, Woodward, and Soda Springs raised over $100,000 for local community partners and non-profits through their Play Forever Fridays program in 2024. This initiative allows guests to purchase $25 lift tickets, tubing access, and bunker sessions, with $5 from each ticket directly supporting community organizations. The next Play Forever Friday is March 14. There are advance purchase requirements. For more information, see https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/community/play-forever. For a complete list of dates, see https://www.rideboreal.com/day-access/tickets/play-forever-friday

Auburn Ski Club

Auburn Ski Club offers alpine, Nordic, biathlon and snowboard athletic programs including 25 km of Nordic skiing groomed to competition standards. Check their web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

Royal Gorge

Royal Gorge has 60 km of trails open and groomed (8:30 AM – 4 PM). Summit Station and Van Norden parking areas are both open. For more information, check http://www.royalgorge.com/home. The bar at Summit Station is open until 9 PM Fridays and Saturdays for drinks and lunch-like food items.

Events (for details go to https://www.royalgorge.com/events)

March 8 (Saturday), 4:30-9 PM: A Moonlight tour for skiers, skimmers, skaters, or snowshoers followed by cocktails and a whiskey-paired dinner at Summit Station.

March 15-16 (Saturday-Sunday): The annual Gold Rush Festival returns with races, a terrain park, vendors, demos, and music on the Summit Station deck.

Soda Springs

Soda Springs Mountain Resort, including kids facilities and tubing, is open 9-4 on weekends and 10-4 Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays (with expanded operations during holiday periods). For details check https://www.skisodasprings.com. See Boreal/Woodward (above) for information on Play Forever Fridays.

Donner Ski Ranch

Donner Ski Ranch, including tubing, is open daily 10-4 with all lifts running. DSR’s Old 40 Bar and Grill is open daily from 8 AM. Check their web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com

Kingvale Resort

Kingvale Resort (on the south side of I-80 at exit 171) offers tubing, sledding, and a rope tow terrain park. Their web site is http://www.kingvaleresort.com. For snowmobile tours, you can check the web site of their Kingvale partner at https://www.hlatours.com

Avalanche Forecast

The Sierra Avalanche Center forecast shows current avalanche danger to be “1. Low” at all elevations. However, beware of warming, softening snow on sun-exposed slopes as it may become unstable. Check the SAC web site (https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org) for details.

Public Transport

Sugar Bowl is operating a free, daily, public shuttle connecting Truckee with Donner Summit this winter. Service started December 9 and will end April 20. The shuttle service makes two loops in the morning and two in the afternoon with stops at Sugar Bowl’s Mt. Judah Lodge, Donner Ski Ranch, the west end of Donner Lake (old TART stop), and the Coldstream TART stop, where riders can make a timed transfer to and from the TART Truckee Local Route. The shuttle will be equipped with exterior ski storage. No dogs, apart from qualified service animals, are permitted on the shuttle. The shuttle service will not operate when Old 40 is closed. The detailed schedule is at https://tahoetruckeetransit.com

Roads

I-80: There are currently no chain requirements on the freeway; but conditions change. Plan ahead by following CalTrans road reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov. Drive carefully. Public parking is available at California Sno-Park sites (https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23055); purchase permits in advance through the web site or at vendors on approaches to Donner Summit.

General: Secondary roads around the Summit should be open. Roadside berms have gained height in the past month, so check carefully for cross or merging traffic at intersections. Be alert to “black ice” where water has spread onto road surfaces and frozen.