Squaw Valley Snow Base Still Nearly 200 Inches Near Memorial Day
AUBURN (CBS13) — Even as temperatures soared in the valley to some of the year's highest, great skiing was still an option Monday thanks to the historic snowpack in the mountains.
At Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the base depth on the upper mountain measures 199 inches. That's equal to the amount the resort received all year during some stretches of the drought.
"So the base depth is just phenomenal, and it's May 22," Squaw Valley Ski Resort's Sam Kieckhefer said.
For only the fourth time ever, Squaw Valley will stay open on the 4th of July and may decide to stay open all year.
"Beyond the 4th of July it's never been done," Kieckhefer said. "We believe with this season's historic snowfall and the snowpack that we have it's possible."
It's a ski season that's once in a lifetime for Lee Dube who has skied here 40 years.
"There's so much snow now that they actually had to take a chair lift and dig under the chair so the chair could pass up to the top," Dube said.
After July 4, Squaw Valley Ski Resort will announce every 10 days whether there is still enough snow to keep skiing.
