High hopes for slopes

<p>Snow-lovers, prepare to give thanks.</p><p>Cool temperatures and a chance of moisture mean Lake Tahoe destinations may be dusted with powder on Thanksgiving, and conditions are prime for snow-making at ski resorts.</p><p>People heading to Tahoe likely will "see a little weather and get some snowflakes, enough to get into the spirit of the season," said Leza McClintock of Santa Rosa Ski and Sport, where skiers and snowboarders have been getting their gear ready for weeks.</p><p>"Everyone's jonesing for it," she said.</p><p>The Thanksgiving weekend, the traditional start of the winter snow-sport season, is typically a hit-or-miss weekend for the slopes.</p><p>Forecasters are anticipating light snowfall Wednesday night, opening the opportunity for a white Thanksgiving morning at lake level in Tahoe.</p><p>"This isn't going to be an awful lot," National Weather Service forecaster Bob Benjamin said of the snow. "But there will be a wintery look above lake level and a dusting on the ground at lake level."</p><p>Lower elevations likely will see rain showers instead of snow flurries, Benjamin said.</p><p>More important for resort operators, temperatures will be perfect for snow-making, with lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s.</p><p>"It's turned cold -- that's an excellent thing," said Russ Pecoraro of Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe. "It's going to be a really good weekend for snow-making, and we're optimistic that people will be skiing this weekend."</p><p>Boreal Mountain Resort, which began making snow in early October, has one run open now and hopes that holiday snow will speed up the process of opening more runs.</p><p>"This is definitely a great time to come up," said Jon Slaughter of Boreal. "We'll have great snow-making temperatures for a few days."</p><p>Slaughter said the resort has had "strong numbers" for attendance this week, and the resort has beat its projections for ticket sales.</p><p>Proving, at least, that a sluggish economy isn't keeping some skiers and snowborders from the slopes.</p><p>At Santa Rosa Ski and Sport, McClintock said the economic downturn has affected sales "a little bit."</p><p>But, she said, "snow people are funny. If there's weather, they're shopping (for gear)."</p><p>With holiday weather looking positively flaky, McClintock said she would be heading up to Tahoe -- if she didn't have to work.</p><p>"Otherwise," she said, "I would be there."</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Laura Norton at 521-5220 or laura.norton@pressdemocrat.</p><p>com.</p>