Heavy snow forces Palisades Tahoe ski resort to close

At least two Tahoe-area ski resorts were closed Tuesday due to heavy snow.

With several feet of snow forecast to fall in Olympic Valley Tuesday, Palisades Tahoe ski resort announced it was closing ski lifts on both sides of its mountain for “the safety of our employees and of our guests.”

In a news release sent out Tuesday morning, and on Twitter, the resort reported that it had received 38 inches, more than three feet, of snow in the past 24 hours. In addition, the resort announced that another 38 inches of snow is expected to fall during the day, as a blizzard warning remains in effect in the Sierra until 4 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the National Weather Service’s Reno office, blizzard conditions will continue to pound the greater Lake Tahoe region throughout the day, with the heaviest snowfall predicted to hit in the evening.

Other ski resorts in the area are also closing or reducing the number of lifts running due to blizzard conditions.

Kirkwood Mountain Resort announced on Twitter it was closing for the day due to the storm’s intensity.

Heavenly Ski resort on Twitter said that conditions will be “dynamic” Tuesday, though the resort was planning for an 11 a.m. opening.

Beyond the slopes, several highways and roads in Placer County and throughout the Sierras are closed today, including I-80 between Applegate and the Nevada state line, due to blizzard conditions, according to Caltrans. Both Caltrans and the National Weather Service advise people avoid necessary travel in the region.