After a powerful blizzard dumped more than 10 feet of snow on the Northern California ski resort of Sugar Bowl, Jon Slaughter’s marketing team had to tunnel through to the front door of their office. The dramatic scene unfolded as they opened a door on the second level of the building and were met with a solid wall of snow.
The ski resort, located 7,000 feet up in the mountains west of Reno, experienced record-breaking snowfall from the storm that hit the region recently. The blizzard caused traffic backups on Interstate 80 and closed down several ski resorts in the area. Thousands of homes and businesses were left without power as well.
Despite the challenges, ski resorts like Sugar Bowl and Palisades Tahoe were slowly reopening lifts for skiers and snowboarders eager to enjoy the epic conditions of deep powder. Other mountain highways in the region remained closed, creating difficult travel conditions for residents and visitors.
The late-season blizzard was a welcome addition to California’s snowpack, which is crucial for the state’s water supply. The snowpack levels on Monday were above average, with more snow expected to arrive in the coming days.
Residents in the area have been making the most of the snowy conditions, with some even snowmobiling and cross-country skiing in the streets. Power has been restored to most areas, but some outages still remain.
Overall, the extreme weather has presented challenges but also opportunities for winter sports enthusiasts. As Jon Slaughter put it, “It looks like it’s going to be snowing most of this week. So if people cannot make powder turn today, there’s plenty more coming for you.”