NEWS

GENERAL CONDITIONS:

Conditions have been springlike at the Summit over the past week. Snow is melting, daytime temperatures have been in the 50s. Donner Ski Ranch remains open, but other resorts have closed for the season. Check Donner Ski Ranch webcams for near-real-time views of current conditions (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com). The Central Sierra Snow Lab in Norden (https://cssl.berkeley.edu) says year-to-date snowfall is holding at 357.09 inches, tantalizingly close to the 360.24 inches for a normal season total. We have about 4 feet of snow in our shaded back yard at 7000 ft. The snow surface is good for backcountry skiing, boarding, or snowshoeing; be careful about breaking through if you’re walking barefoot.

If you’re in the backcountry, beware of stream crossings. Snow bridges may be undercut and the water below may be flowing deeper and faster than you might expect. Also beware of sunburn (including snow blindness) — use sunscreen, hats with brims, long sleeve shorts, and sunglasses.

Purple Air stations on the Summit are reporting a wide range of AQI from single digits to more than 70 — probably good air quality, except downwind of working wood stoves.

Today’s (May 2) sunrise was at 6:00 AM, sunset will be at 7:56 PM. Sunrise is moving earlier by about 9 minutes each week, and sunset is about 7 minutes later. We’ll have 14 hours of daylight (sunrise to sunset) in a couple days.

FORECAST:

Today’s (May 2) hi/lo temperature range is forecast to be 56°/31° with sunny skies. Tomorrow will be similar except a couple degrees warmer. BEWARE SATURDAY (May 4). Temperatures will drop to 39°/21° and snow is forecast — possibly starting as rain after midnight, turning to 8-12 inches of snow during the day, with another 3-5 inches Saturday night. Expect southwest winds of 20 MPH. Sunday will continue cold (36°/19°) but with partly cloudy skies. Spring returns Monday and it will be mostly sunny for the remainder of the two week forecast with daytime highs in the 60s and overnight lows in the upper 30s by next Thursday (May 9) .

If you want to recreate, next weekend (May 11-12) should be springlike. This coming Sunday (May 5) could be pretty nice with new snow; but Saturday (May 4), if the storm materializes, could be unpleasant outdoors and (especially) on the highways.

AUBURN SKI CLUB:

Auburn Ski Club offers alpine, Nordic, biathlon and snowboard athletic programs including 25 km of Nordic ski trails, groomed to competition standards but open to everyone when not being used for races. ASC’s youth programs and competitions (from local to national championship levels) are a big part of the Summit community — a legacy for many athletes and families now stretching back almost 100 years. Check the web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

BOREAL WOODWARD:

Boreal has ended its winter operations; but Woodward started its spring program on April 14. For more information, visit https://www.rideboreal.com

DONNER SKI RANCH:

Donner Ski Ranch will be open on weekends as long as conditions allow. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Donner Ski Ranch on Sunday. For more information, go to https://www.donnerskiranch.com/#donnerskiranch

KINGVALE RESORT:

Kingvale Resort offers sledding and snow play on the south side of I-80 at exit 171. Their web site is at http://www.kingvaleresort.com.

ROYAL GORGE:

Royal Gorge closed for the season on April 28. For more information, visit https://www.royalgorge.com/home

SODA SPRINGS:

Soda Springs Mountain Resort ended its winter operations on April 14. Visit https://www.skisodasprings.com for more information.

SUGAR BOWL:

Sugar Bowl’s winter season ended last weekend, but they have a special event starting today. For up-to-date general information, go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/home

For the special event, visit https://www.sugarbowl.com/events.

May 2-5 (Thursday-Sunday): The Donner Summit at Sugar Bowl — a week of workshops for young ski and snowboard athletes.

AVALANCHE DANGER:

The Sierra Avalanche Center posted its final report and forecast on April 21. Check their web site for general information at https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org. Heavy snow on Saturday, May 4, will change avalanche conditions significantly. Then explore the backcountry cautiously and responsibly; there’s a lot out there, but help is more than a phone call away.

WATER DISTRICT UPGRADES:

May 2 (Thursday), evening: The water district serving Serene Lakes is looking ahead to significant infrastructure upgrades. There will be a public informational meeting today starting at 5:30 PM in the water district building at 7305 Short Road in Serene Lakes. A consultant has recommended over $150M in improvements for the District that serves about 820 customers. The upgrade package is specific to Serene Lakes, but the issues of expensive aging infrastructure are common in sparsely populated rural areas.

SUMMIT CLEANUP DAY:

June 1 (Saturday), morning: Help pick up trash along Summit roads in preparation for a great summer season. Watch this space for details.

ROADS:

I-80: The freeway is open with no restrictions over the Summit. But be prepared for snowy driving this weekend.

Parking: The California Sno-Park east of Boreal at I-80 exit 176 is available for public parking for $15/day; but it is first-come first-served and space can be tight on weekends. Get more information about the Sno-Park program at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30701. Permit information is available at https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30735

General: Follow CalTrans road reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov.

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