General Conditions

Last week we reported more than 3 feet of new snow; today we’re reporting sunny skies and 60° temperatures.  The Central Sierra Snow Lab (https://cssl.berkeley.edu) says there has been no new snow in the past week; we’re holding at  354.1 inches for the season, compared to a median 325.9 inches for the same date over 1991-2020 and 360.2 inches for a ‘normal’ full season. 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 (April 10) sunrise was at 6:31 AM; sunset will be at 7:34 PM. Sunrise is drifting earlier by about 10 minutes each week. Sunset is drifting later by about 7 minutes each week. The days are getting longer — by about 2-1/2 minutes each day; these rates will continue into May when we can start to feel as though it’s summer again.

Star Gazing: Roughly 40° above the western horizon after sunset (8 PM) you should be able to spot Jupiter, which is now the brightest object in that part of the sky. At the same time, look for Mars, nearly overhead and in a straight line with the Gemini twins.  All three are about the same brightness; Mars is slightly orange, separated slightly more from the other two,  and the most easterly.  At midnight you should be able to spot the Big Dipper nearly overhead; the pan opens to the north and the handle stretches east.

Forecast

The daytime high temperature today (April 10) is forecast to be 59°, and the overnight low should be around 35°.  There will be a mix of clouds and sun, but expect sun to dominate.  The forecast for the next two weeks is more of the same.  Temperatures will get into the lower 60s a week from now, then cool to the low 50s the following week.  Only a few nights will have temperatures below 32°, so snow will continue to melt.  Chance of precipitation in the next two weeks is less than 10% on most days; there is only one day in the next 14 when the probability of rain/snow rises as high as 21%.

If you want to recreate outdoors at Donner Summit, both of the next two weekends will be similar — sunny with a high/low temperature range of 58°/33°.

Events

April 11 (Friday): Play Forever Friday at Boreal, Woodward, and Soda Springs — which raised over $100,000 for local community partners and non-profits 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. There are advance purchase requirements.  For more information, see https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/community/play-forever.

April 16 (Wednesday) 3-4:30 PM: A free on-line webinar about wildfire mitigation, resources available, and Firewise Communities.  Register for Truckee Fire’s Firewise Virtual Office Hours at https://www.truckeefire.org/firewise

April 19 (Saturday), 9 AM – 3 PM: Sugar Bowl’s Pond Skim — watch (or join) skiers as they attempt to get across a temporary artificial pond, launching from a snow-covered ramp at one end.  Live music, a pop-up bar, and a snow beach viewing area.  For more information and tickets, go to https://www.suggarbowl.com/events.

June 7 (Saturday), 9 AM – Noon: Join the Donner Summit Association in its annual Summit Clean-Up Day.  Details later.

July 12 and 13 (Saturday and Sunday): Trails and Vistas Art Hikes — A fusion of art experiences and forest immersion.  Guides lead small groups from one performance setting to the next, where award-winning musicians, dancers, poets, and visual artists present their works.  For more information, go to https://www.trailsandvistas.org.

Resorts

Sugar Bowl is open daily 9 AM – 4 PM. Sugar Rush Tubing is open daily 10-4. Check https://www.sugarbowl.com for more information.  Sugar Bowl closes for the season on April 27; check the web site for mid-week operations before April 25.

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.  There’s a Play Forever Friday on April 11 (see above).  Boreal’s mountain closes for the season on April 20.

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.

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. There’s a Play Forever Friday on April 11 (see above).  Soda Springs’ closes for the season on April 20.

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

Royal Gorge is open 8:30 AM to 4 PM each day. It had 65 km of trails groomed today.. Parking is available at both Summit Station and Van Norden Meadow. Check http://www.royalgorge.com/home for updates. The bar at Summit Station has drinks and lunch-like food items until 9 PM Friday and Saturday.  Royal Gorge closes for the season on April 27; check the web site for mid-week operations before April 25.

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 “2. Moderate” at all elevations. Strong April sun may lead to wet snow avalanche conditions; so be wary when traveling in the backcountry, especially on steep slopes and as the day progresses.  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 I-80 and the forecast is generally favorable for at least the next two weeks. Watch for water on the road and ice where that water has frozen. Plan ahead by following CalTrans road reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov, then 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 with no restrictions.