Fast and furious was Mother Nature's pace and demeanor between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. last night. Fall weather relented to plummeting temperatures, tempestuous winds - and snow that raged as if it were late for its own flight. As of 11 p.m., the inch-per-hour rate lulled to catch its breath; only to intensify again after midnight. The result? Tahoe woke this morning to 8 to 12 inches of fresh, cold, light snow. As of 10 a.m., light lingering snow continued with an occasional beam of sunshine peeking through the inflated storm clouds - as if to evaluate the new landscape. As of 10:45 a.m., the sun gave up for the day, letting the snow claim the kingdom.
Lingering clouds and falling snow hover over Lake Tahoe - November 9, 2012
All of this seems to bring out a familiar vibe among Tahoe residents and visitors - a marked combination of excitement, expectation, sense of urgency, and forward movement toward everything that winter packs in its bag for an open-ended stay at the lake. Like a clock set by the snow itself, this magic vibe is intangible, yet thick in the air. Thoughts of skiing prior to Thanksgiving are in the air too! There, it's been said, and it's out there for all to relish. And upon gazing at this morning's beauty near some of Tahoe Luxury Properties' vacation rentals in the West Shore's Talmont neighborhood, the thought becomes better and better. Squaw Valley and Northstar, CA are set to open prior to Thanksgiving; with others following suit shortly thereafter. Last night's snow accumulation totalled 8 inches at lake level and 12 inches in the mountains.
The anticipation of skiing powder at Alpine Meadows never hurt anyone
Staying in one of our West Shore vacation rentals? Be sure to ski Homewood - and be sure to pack a camera.
This photo is from our extraordinary friends at Squaw Valley. Their excitement for the upcoming opening day of Nov. 21 is contageous