How much snow did Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort get?
NOAA's snowfall estimate for Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort, California: the last 24 hours, the last 72 hours and the season so far, next to the National Weather Service forecast. Not the resort's own snow report.
Estimated snowfall, base area — lowest mapped lift station, 6,644 ft (2,025 m)
Last 24 hours
0.9 in
24 h ending 5 am Sat PT
NOAA may still revise this.
Last 72 hours
1.5 in
72 h ending 5 am Sat PT
NOAA may still revise this.
This season
2.0 in
Since Wed, Sep 30 · through 5 am Sat PT
NOAA may still revise this.
A gridded estimate for one ~4 km cell, not a measurement at your door. Updated 39 min ago. Snowfall estimate: NOAA/NWS National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC).
Mountain accuracy. Mountain estimates often run low in big storms: on days with 6 in or more, this estimate came to about 80–85% of what high-elevation observers measured (western US, winters 2024–26). How we checked.
Recent snow days at Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort
- 24 h ending Sat, Oct 31, 5 am PT0.9 in
- 24 h ending Fri, Oct 30, 5 am PT0.6 in
- 24 h ending Thu, Oct 22, 5 am PT0.3 in
Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort at a glance
- State
- California
- Lowest mapped lift station
- 6,644 ft (2,025 m)
- Highest mapped lift station
- 8,855 ft (2,699 m)
- Vertical between them
- 2,211 ft (674 m)
- Mapped lifts
- 9
- Mapped downhill runs
- 41
Official sources
- Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort — the resort's own snow report, lifts and conditions
- Sierra Avalanche Center — avalanche forecast for the Central Sierra Nevada zone, before you go beyond the ropes
- California road conditions — closures, chain rules and travel times from the state
Resort names, lifts and elevations © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap, with Skimap.org, Who's On First and Mapterhorn. Mapped data can be incomplete. Resort list (ODbL).
Want snow totals and storm alerts for Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort on your phone? The SnowDex iPhone app is in the works.
Snow at Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort: common questions
Is this Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort's own snow report?
No. It is NOAA's gridded snowfall estimate for one ~4 km cell at the resort's lowest mapped lift station. Resorts measure at their own stakes, often near the top, and report on their own schedule — the numbers can differ a lot. For terrain, lifts and conditions, check the resort itself (sierraattahoe.com).
Why is mountain snow so hard to estimate?
Snow changes fast with elevation and wind: a summit can get twice what the base gets, and a ~4 km grid cell averages over very different slopes. Weather observers are also scarce on mountains, so the estimate leans more on radar and models there.
Is this a forecast or what actually fell?
Both, kept apart. The totals are NOAA's estimate of snow that already fell, for fixed windows ending at 12:00 or 00:00 UTC. The table below them is the National Weather Service forecast for the next 72 hours.
Where these numbers come from
- Snow that fell: NOAA National Snowfall Analysis
- Published by NOAA’s National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) on a ~4 km grid of the contiguous US. It blends radar-based precipitation estimates, a snow-to-liquid ratio and reports from volunteer and cooperative observers. 24-hour totals end at 12:00 and 00:00 UTC and appear about two hours later; 72-hour and season totals are built from the daily 12:00 UTC analysis. NOAA re-runs each analysis for about five days as late reports arrive, so a total can change.
- Snow that’s coming: National Weather Service
- The NWS gridpoint forecast for the spot: snowfall, ice, temperature, chance of precipitation and wind in 6-hour steps for the next 72 hours.
- What it cannot tell you
- A grid estimate is not a ruler in your yard. Snow drifts, settles and melts; totals can change a lot within a few miles; and narrow lake-effect bands can fall between grid cells. Treat these numbers as a good estimate for your area, not a measurement at your door.