Skiers, storm chasers head to Tahoe ahead of blizzard warning
Blizzard Warning: Preparing for the snowstorm in the Sierra
Caltrans is warning people to avoid driving up to Tahoe without checking road conditions because of a blizzard warning set to go into effect early Thursday morning. Nonetheless, there are some who are eager to take advantage of the winter storm.
BERKELEY, Calif. - Last minute preparations were underway Wednesday night, ahead of the next round of snow in the Sierra.
At Sports Basement in Berkeley, skis were being ground down and waxed up.
Snowboarders and skiers are getting ready to head up the hill.
"Up to Tahoe for the weekend," Tim Finnigan said.
He thinks he will beat the incoming snow by driving up Thursday afternoon.
"We’ll see how much of it stays open," Finnigan said. "Worse comes to worst, we’ll just ski the lower mountain."
Alex Posey hasn’t seen snow in a couple of years.
She is renting skis for a four-day snow trip.
"We’re going to try to ski. We’re heading up tonight actually, to try to miss the storm and staying through Sunday," Posey said. "Hopefully, the roads are clear by then and we can drive back down in the evening."
Others are in search of the most extreme weather they can find.
"Cause it’s going to be frickin' gnarly. It’s going to be really bad up there," said Michael Steinberg, who has years of storm chasing under his belt.
He is prepared for the worst, including getting his truck stuck in the snow and being stranded for hours.
"I got sleeping bags, hand warmers, lanterns, flashlights, a bunch of non-perishable food, water, anything I can survive on for at least 24 to 36 hours."
Palisades Tahoe is preparing for slick roads, reduced visibility, and closures on mountain passes.
The ski resort is telling people not to give in to "powder panic," because they plan to be open until at least Memorial Day.
Finnigan isn’t waiting but plans to play it safe.
"They just put chain controls," Finnigan said. "We’ve got chains for the front tires and take it slow, I think its 25 mph."
Caltrans in the South Lake Tahoe area is advising people to skip this storm and avoid mountain travel all together.
"If you’re not prepared, if you don’t have to be out there, don’t go," Steinberg suggested.
For those who are headed up to the Sierra, Caltrans has a list of winter driving tips, active road closures, and chain controls.
Palisades Tahoe expects to lose access to higher elevations.
They plan to be doing a lot of avalanche control and are waiting to see how much snow gets dumped before they can talk about opening dates or times.