News

General Conditions

Spring continues at Donner Summit, the only exceptions being weekends.  Last weekend we had 9 inches of new snow, pushing us over the median season total at the Central Sierra Snow Lab (https://cssl.berkeley.edu/).  CSSL reports 363 inches of total snowfall this season compared to a 360 inch median over 1991-2020.  Otherwise, daytime highs hang around 60° and overnight lows are in the low-to-mid 30s.  All ski resorts on the Summit are now closed except Donner Ski Ranch, which will run weekends “till the snow is gone”.  Good snow holds in the backcountry, especially where surfaces have been shaded.  Check web cams at Sugar Bowl (http://www.sugarbowl.com/home) and Donner Ski Ranch (http://webcams.donnerskiranch.com/) for up-to-the-minute views of current conditions.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (May 1) sunrise was at 6:02 AM; sunset will be at 7:55 PM.  Sunrise is drifting earlier by about 9 minutes each week. Sunset is drifting later by about 7 minutes each week. The days continue to get longer — by about 2 minutes each day; these rates will continue for a couple more weeks.  Sunrise turns around (becoming later) in early June, sunset turns around (becoming earlier) in early July.  The two cross over at the summer solstice (June 20), when we have the longest day.  By this time next week, we’ll be having 14 hours of daylight each day.

Star Gazing: Roughly 40° above the western horizon after sunset (8:30 PM) you should be able to spot Jupiter, which is now the brightest star-like object in that part of the sky. At the same time, look for Mars, a bit west of overhead; it’s still closer to the Gemini twins, but it’s moving noticeably toward Leo (left-to-right flipped question mark).  The crescent Moon is west of Gemini but moving in that direction; it will be full on May 12 making evening stargazing difficult for the next 10-14 days.  At midnight you should be able to spot the Big Dipper nearly overhead; the pan opens to the north and the handle stretches east.  If you’re up at 5 AM and have a good view of the eastern horizon, you should be able to spot Venus.

Forecast

The next two weeks will continue to be spring-like (except for weekends).  Expect daytime highs around 60° and overnight lows around 40°.  It will be mostly sunny.  This weekend (May 3-4) is different — highs around 48°, overnight lows around 33°, partly cloudy, and with a 30% chance of showers on Saturday.  Next weekend (May 10-11) will be different in the opposite direction — daytime highs around 68°, overnight lows around 41°, with only a few clouds.

If you want to recreate outdoors at Donner Summit, this weekend (May 3-4) looks chilly and damp.  The following weekend should be 20° warmer and mostly sunny.

Events

May 1 (Thursday), 1-2 PM: Catch the final Zoom briefing on winter conditions by Andrew Schwartz, Director of the Central Sierra Snow Lab.  He will discuss the latest data on snow measurements, both locally and nationally.  He will also look at the three-month predictions for temperature and water in the contiguous western United States.  Try the following to make the Zoom connection: https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/94526024405; Meeting ID: 945 2602 4405; Passcode: 222580.

May 3 (Saturday) 10 AM – 2 PM: Nevada County Recreation Fair (Bodhi Hive, 420 Providence Mine Rd., Bldg N4, Nevada City) — Find new ways to play in Nevada County.  There will be approximately 50 local vendors encouraging people of all ages to improve fitness and health by recreating in the county.  For more information, visit https://nevadacityca.gov/315/Nevada-County-Recreation-Fair

May 21 (Wednesday) 3-4:30 PM: A free on-line webinar about wildfire mitigation, resources available, and Firewise Communities.  Register for Truckee Fire’s Firewise Virtual Office Hours at https://www.truckeefire.org/firewise

May 23-26 (Friday-Monday): Open tavern and bar and overnight lodging available at Rainbow Lodge.  For details, go to    https://www.therainbowlodge.com/events.  Guest rooms may be booked at https://therainbowlodge.client.innroad.com/ 

June 7 (Saturday), 9 AM – Noon: Join the Donner Summit Association for its annual Summit Clean-Up Day.  Details here soon.

July 12 and 13 (Saturday and Sunday): Trails and Vistas Art Hikes — A fusion of art experiences and forest immersion.  Guides lead small groups from one performance setting to the next, where award-winning musicians, dancers, poets, and visual artists present their works.  For more information, go to https://www.trailsandvistas.org.

October 4 and 5 (Saturday and Sunday): Donner Party Hikes.  Choose from among 8 Saturday hikes with a guide who provides historical commentary.   Distances range from 2 to 6 miles.  There will be a Sunday tour at Alder Creek and an exploration at Donner Memorial State Park.  For more information and registration, go to https://donnerpartyhike.com/general-information/

Resorts

Sugar Bowl winter operations are closed for the season.  For summer activities, check  https://www.sugarbowl.com

Boreal (the winter mountain) is closed for the season.   Woodward (indoors) is open Monday-Friday 1-8 PM and weekends 10 AM – 8 PM.   There will be a summer outdoor program.  Check https://www.rideboreal.com.

Auburn Ski Club is closed for the season.   Check their web site — https://www.asctrainingcenter.org — for more information.

Soda Springs Mountain Resort is closed for the season.  For more information, visit https://www.skisodasprings.com/

Donner Ski Ranch chair lifts will run Saturdays and Sundays 9-4 “till the snow is gone”. DSR’s Old 40 Bar and Grill is open daily from 8 AM. Check their web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com

Royal Gorge is closed for the season.  Check http://www.royalgorge.com/home for more information.

Kingvale Resort (on the south side of I-80 at exit 171) offers tubing, sledding, and a rope tow terrain park. Their web site is http://www.kingvaleresort.com. For snowmobile tours, you can check the web site of their Kingvale partner at https://www.hlatours.com

Avalanche Forecast

The Sierra Avalanche Center avoided staff reductions by appealing threatened cuts at the end of this winter season.  Nonetheless SAC issued its (previously planned) final avalanche forecast on April 19.  The forecast advised caution where heavy wet snow overlies weak layers, especially on steeper slopes.  Check the SAC web site (https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org) for details.

Roads

I-80: There are currently no chain requirements on I-80 and the forecast is generally favorable for the next two weeks.  Plan ahead by following CalTrans road reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov. Public parking is available at California Sno-Park sites (https://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=23055); purchase permits in advance through the web site or at vendors on approaches to Donner Summit.

General: Paved secondary roads around the Summit should be open with no restrictions.  Off-highway vehicle routes (unpaved) will open as snow melts.