November was a warm and dry month. That has not been good for businesses that rely on the snow. Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe received about three feet of snow during a late-October storm but not much has fallen since. The lack of snow is delaying many ski resorts and other winter businesses from opening.
"In an ideal world, Halloween, we want the place to be covered in white but we also have stats and we know what it is," Mike Pierce, Marketing Director of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe said. "So there's some reality to it."
Pierce says in one out of four years, the ski resort opens after Thanksgiving. That is the case, this year, but he says the Mt. Rose is very close to opening.
"We're as anxious as everybody else to want to get going," Pierce said. "Especially, from a distance, the hill does look good. We're in really close shape."
Pierce expects Mt. Rose to open within a couple of weeks. He says all it will take is one good storm or colder temperatures that will allow the resort to make its own snow.
"When the conditions are right, yep, we can pour and it really augments what we already have and just ensures that we can have a good quality product," Pierce said. "Especially, as the Christmas holidays approach."
The lack of snow is affecting snowmobiling for recreation and for businesses. Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Tours only opens in November once or twice every 10 years, so it wasn't counting on early snow. It typically targets December 15 to start its season. At least one foot of snow is needed for that to happen.
"There is nothing out there," Rob Nishimori, Owner of Lake Tahoe Snowmobile Tours said. "There's some snow up high but we don't have enough to put together a tour and it's not really worth it right now."
The company offers snowmobile tours to approximately 100 people on a daily basis when conditions allow it. The company operates near Brockway Summit and has 15 employees.
"We take lots of people out that have never touched a snowmobile, lots of people who have never touched snow and get them out into the back country and get them some great views and some experience out on snowmobiles, which is a great time," Nishimori said.
These kinds of businesses are all hoping the snow falls sooner than later. They say they are excited for the winter recreation season ahead.
"We're ready to go," Nishimori said. "All of our new equipment is in place, all of our guides are ready, so we're really just waiting for a storm that delivers enough for us to get down this road without touching it."
If a storm does blow in, it would come just ahead of a very busy time of the year.
"Christmas and New Year's, that is our big time to go," Nishimori said. "We have a lot of reservations, so hopefully, we can make them happy."
