General Conditions

Spring weather continues at Donner Summit.  Meadows are turning green and a few very early flowers are blooming.  There are a few bugs, but they aren’t out in force yet.  You can find patches of snow at 7000 ft; but to ski or board, you’ll need to go significantly higher.  Daytime highs have ranged between 61° and 74° during the past week; overnight lows have been between 32° and 45°.   The Central Sierra Snow Lab (https://cssl.berkeley.edu/) reports no precipitation in the past week; the seasonal snowfall remains at 306.69 inches compared with 360.24 inches for a total median winter season.  We have 100% of median precipitation (snow plus rain) for this date.

All ski resorts at Donner Summit have closed for the season.  The nearest operating lifts are at Palisades Tahoe where they are targeting May 24 for closing. Webcams at Sugar Bowl (http://www.sugarbowl.com/home), Donner Ski Ranch (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com/), and Boreal (https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/webcams/boreal-mountain-cam/) provide views of current conditions on Donner Summit.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (May 14) sunrise was at 5:48 AM; sunset will be at 8:07 PM.  Sunrise is 7 minutes earlier than last week and sunset is 7 minutes later, so the days continue to get longer by about 2 minutes per day.  Sunrise and sunset will continue to move toward the northeast and northwest, respectively, but most of that drift has been completed and length of day will only increase by about 45 minutes between now and the summer solstice (June 21).

Star Gazing: The Moon will be new on May 16, so evening stargazing is excellent where there are no clouds or haze.  Jupiter is the bright star-like object roughly overhead after sunset; it is still in the constellation Gemini but moving toward Leo.  Venus is the bright star-like object over the western horizon after sunset.  Around 10 PM, Arcturus is the brightest star overhead; from the pan of the Big Dipper, follow the arc of its handle to Arcturus.

Other News: Summit Soups (21719 Donner Pass Road, Soda Springs; same building as the post office) continues to serve soups made from scratch.  Their “soft” opening Thursday-Sunday noon-6 PM has drifted more toward dinner hours.  They now have a neon “OPEN” sign that can be seen from the road; and there is a handwritten sign in the window listing current hours of operation.  Reviews so far have been favorable.

Sugar Bowl closed and dismantled its historic gondola lift last month.  If you’d like a souvenir gondola, get more information at https://www.sugarbowl.com/village-gondola-sale?utm_term=5.5.26&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=gondola&spMailingID=51718378&spUserID=MTMyMDEyNzA0NDQwMQS2&spJobID=3180339702&spReportId=MzE4MDMzOTcwMgS2

Forecast

Expect mostly sunny weather for the next week.  Daytime highs will drift from today’s 66° to 50° on Sunday, rise to 68° a week from today, then drop back down again.  For the Memorial Day weekend, expect a few more clouds; there is a 1-in-3 chance of showers on Sunday (May 24).

Summit Calendar

May 19 (Tuesday) 6 PM: Public hearing on proposed increases in water and wastewater rates for the Donner Summit Public Utilities District.  Customers who reject the increases must register their opposition before the end of the hearing.  More details can be found at https://www.dspud.org/files/40b501400/2026+Donner+Prop+218_webv2.pdf

May 21 (Thursday) 5-6 PM:  The May meeting of the DSA Board of Directors at Soda Springs Mountain Resort.   Find an agenda at https://www.donnersummitca.com/dsa-meetings-info/ early in the week preceding the meeting.  Directions to the meeting will be included.

May 21 (Thursday) 6:30-7:30 PM: Hybrid public informational meeting on the proposed cannabis dispensary in the Soda Springs area.  The in-person meeting will be at Soda Springs Mountain Resort; there will be a Zoom connection for remote participation.  Check here for the Zoom URL, meeting ID, and passcode on the afternoon of May 21.  For more details on the meeting, check poster_260424b.  For a summary of basic information on this topic, see Dispensary_FAQ_v1.  Both the meeting announcement and the FAQ sheet may be updated as the meeting approaches.

June 3 (Wednesday) 3-4 PM: Join Truckee Fire for a Defensible Space Work Plan virtual webinar.  It will cover the neighborhood inspection schedule which cycles through Truckee Fire’s jurisdiction every three years (will your neighborhood be inspected in 2026?).  Also covered will be defensible space and home hardening techniques and resources available to homeowners for reducing fire risk.  Register at https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/f5840f90-f49c-4d8f-95d9-87e9dce05eaf@a4a55da3-2597-4512-811d-dc8ff72e5720

June 6 (Saturday) 9 AM – Noon: Join with Summit neighbors in trash pickup along Donner Pass Road.  Lunch at the Soda Springs General Store for volunteers.  For more details, click here clean_up_flyer_2026.  Advance signup at https://forms.gle/KskLc7f4MAxrEmtk8 will help us in planning; but walkups are welcome.

Resorts

Boreal/Woodward: Boreal (the Mountain) and Woodward Outdoor Parks and MTB Trails are closed.  Woodward (The Bunker) is open Wednesday-Friday 1-8 PM and Saturday-Sunday 10 AM – 8 PM.  Check https://www.rideboreal.com for more information.

Sugar Bowl  is closed for the season.  Check  https://www.sugarbowl.com for information on summer activities.

Soda Springs Mountain Resort is closed for the season.  Watch  https://www.skisodasprings.com/ for news.

Royal Gorge is closed for the season.  Tapas Friday and Saturday starts in late June.   Check https://www.royalgorge.com/home for updates.

Donner Ski Ranch is closed for the season.  Its Old 40 Bar and Grill remains open 7 days a week.   Check the DSR web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com for news.

ASC Training Center (formerly Auburn Ski Club) specializes in training for competition and sponsors events.  The ASC Training Center is closed for the season.  Check their web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

Kingvale Resort (on the south side of I-80 at exit 171) is closed for the season.

Avalanche Report

The Sierra Avalanche Center has posted general comments on avalanches on its website  https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/

Roads

I-80: The freeway is open and in good condition, but there are occasional lane restrictions for construction.  Plan ahead by following CalTrans reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov.  Check I-80 webcams at https://caltranscameras.app/cameras/route/I-80

General: Paved secondary roads around the Summit should be in good condition.  Off Highway Vehicle roads will be challenging as snow melts and muddy sections dry.  Rattlesnake Canyon Road (FR85) north from Cisco Grove was closed for four years starting in 2024 for construction at Fordyce Dam.