KQED's Forum Tahoe Resorts Shut Down a Month Early
Mar 23, 2026
Cole Zimmerman, Vail Resorts communications lead for Tahoe, talks resort ops, snowmaking, and sustainability. Andy Buckley, longtime GM of Homewood, shares hands-on perspective on lower-elevation challenges and community impacts. Bryan Allegretto, OpenSnow forecaster, explains Sierra weather swings and seasonal snow patterns. They discuss early closures, snowmaking limits, tech investments, and fire risk in multiple short conversations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Late Snowstorms Then Fast March Melt
- The season had wild swings of warm rain early then big cold snow that temporarily rescued ski operations.
- Bryan Allegretto described a warm November/December, big December storms, then a record cold February storm followed by a rapid nine-degree-above-average March melt.
Homewood Closed Early Because Lower Elevation Melted Out
- Homewood is a small, 1,200-acre, lower-elevation resort by the lake that closed March 17th due to rapid melt.
- Andy Buckley explained their lower base (6,200 ft) and melt-worn arterial routes made patrol egress and guest safety untenable.
Rain After Big Dump Was A Major Setback
- The February storm that dumped heavy snow was immediately followed by three inches of rain, quickly degrading dry snow.
- Andy recalled that rain rapidly took low-moisture snow down to almost nothing days after the big dump.