Sierra slopes could be blanketed in snow by Thanksgiving

TAHOE, Calif. - Ski season is underway around Lake Tahoe, with early resort openings already taking place across the region.

Snow in the Sierra 

Why you should care:

Crews have been blending natural snowfall with active snowmaking operations as cold temperatures and clear skies remain in place.

However, a brief warming trend over the weekend is expected to force several area resorts to temporarily pause their snowmaking efforts.

Despite the short-term warm-up, forecasters are tracking an atmospheric river pattern that could bring several feet of snow to the area by Thanksgiving.

"The good news is that we've got another big system coming in," Kevin Cooper said on Friday morning. "We need that really heavy Sierra cement to come in and really lay it down on the base."

Meteorologists note that colder northern low-pressure systems are essential to build a solid, dense base.

Tahoe skiers remain optimistic that favorable weather shifts could still yield an exceptional winter ahead. 

Businesses in Truckee are hoping for a busy season, as ski resorts get ready to welcome winter visitors.

Heavenly and Northstar are planning to open in two weeks. Sugar Bowl Resort is undergoing its largest renovation to date. Still, the resort said it will be ready to open on Nov. 27. 

 "We're expecting that, with El Niño that we're going to have a terrific season, and we're going to have a lot of snowfall," Sugar Bowl's Jon Slaughter said. "As a matter of fact, it looks like a couple feet coming next week. We expect to be wrapping this project up just in time for the snow to start coming."