Dramatic photos comparing Squaw Valley at the height of California’s dire drought with the ski resort during 2017’s epic snow pileup are extraordinary.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, one of the area’s largest resorts, recorded only 227 inches of cumulative snowfall for the 2014–15 season.
We asked four ski resorts how many inches they’ve received.
Squaw has already recorded 631 inches of cumulative snow as of March 22, 2017—that’s some 400 inches more than what fell in the complete 2014–15 season.
"Our average annual snowfall is 450 inches," said Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows spokesperson Liesl Kenney.
The back-to-back storms have been a true gift to all Tahoe ski resorts at the end of a five-year drought.
As of March 22, 2017, Heavenly’s season snowfall total was 605 inches, Kirkwood’s 614 inches, and Mount Rose’s a whopping 691 inches.
As a result of this year’s tremendous snow harvest, the ski season will extend well into April and Squaw Valley plans to be open on the Fourth of July.
"This will be the fourth time we’ve been open on the Fourth in the past 50 years.
This year we’ll be open into June.