Rain in Davis: Is the Ski Season Finally Here?

Imagine you are a 22-year-old recent college graduate, dreaming of taking a break after finishing school by spending the winter and spring seasons tearing up the slopes and living in South Lake Tahoe. 

The fresh white powder would greet you every morning as you gathered your gear for yet another day on the mountain, where the brisk clean air would fill your lungs.  This dream was made a reality by three of my good friends who moved up to South Lake Tahoe in early December.  The season, however, has not been all they had hoped for so far. 

Living in Davis, we know that the amount of rainfall we see usually correlates with the amount of snowfall expected in the Sierras.  Well, how much rain have we seen this winter? Not too much, I would say, and so would the US Drought Monitor.  According to the experts, the Sacramento/ Davis area is in a moderate drought due to lack of precipitation. 

We are seeing the effects of this “drought” on our seasonal crops and in the abnormal dryness in the land, because of which the fire warnings have been raised in Davis and in the Tahoe area.

Now, at this time last year, the amount of rain in Davis, and therefore the amount of snowfall in Tahoe, had been incredible.  I made a trip up to Incline Village in early January of last year, and the streets and lakeshores were lined with mounds of beautiful, sparkling snow. 

This year has been a different story.  I was up in South Lake Tahoe visiting those previously mentioned friends on New Year’s Eve, and the streets and sidewalks were almost completely bare.  The mountains were as well, except for the patches of manmade snow on Heavenly Mountain.  I did have an incredible time, don’t get me wrong, but I was quite disappointed that the glittering white blanket was missing.

Ski resorts are making their own snow with the hope that they will still be able to attract business.  However, a few smaller ski resorts, including Donner Ski Ranch, have not even been able to open their doors at all this season. 

The trouble attracting visitors is not solely the problem of the ski resorts, either.  Local businesses are seeing a ripple effect in their number of customers.  The Montbleu Casino in South Lake Tahoe said that their numbers have been surprisingly low for this time of the season. 

This point also brings me back to my snowboard-bum friends.  Their plan of securing a job to support their habit quickly receded into fantasy when they learned that businesses were not in need of extra hands, because no snow means no new business.

The boys still board, but only on the hard, manmade snow available at Heavenly.  These guys are still enjoying themselves of course; they know how to have a good time.  But for good reason, the ski resorts, and my friends, have not yet given up hope.

So far, my many attempts at a rain dance or tribute to the rain gods have all been in vain. I could say that all these dances I have been doing and prayers I have been sending up are purely for the good of the environment, which isn’t entirely false, but the truth is, I just want it to snow, badly. And I know I’m not alone.

I am not the only wannabe-ski bum in Davis. We pulled out our skis and snowboards at the first sight of snow early in the season, but they have since been gathering cobwebs and staring at us longingly. 

This weekend, however, things appear to be changing. We have seen rain in Davis and snow in Tahoe already -- a change that will hopefully bring with it more snow in the coming weeks, and a chance to dust off those cobwebs and get those skis some fresh air, or powder.

 Happy Skiing! Or snowboarding, if that’s what you’re into!