General Conditions

Donner Summit had rain and then very light snow a week ago, ending Friday morning.  Last weekend was cool but sunny and pleasant.  Since then there’s been a mix of sun and clouds but no more precipitation.  Temperatures have ranged from a high of 52° last Saturday (October 24) to a low of 24° yesterday morning (October 28).  Find more details on the Central Sierra Snow Lab web site at https://cssl.berkeley.edu/.

Purple Air AQI around the Summit is surprisingly variable with readings ranging from 15 to 50.  There are no active wildfires in the area and wind is not unusual.  USFS rates fire danger in the Truckee Ranger District as “moderate” and there are no chain saw restrictions today — another good day to add more firewood.  Truckee Fire rates the fire danger as “high”.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (October 29) sunrise was at 7:26 AM, about 8 minutes later than a week ago.  Sunset will be at 6:03 PM, about 9 minutes earlier than last week.  The days are getting shorter — by about 2-1/2 minutes each day — with slightly more action on the sunset end.

Star Gazing: The Moon was full last Sunday (October 25), so the next couple weeks will be good for stargazing (clouds permitting).  Saturn was at opposition on October 4 meaning it is at its brightest and is south of overhead before midnight. Saturn is brighter than most stars, but it doesn’t compare with Venus, Mars, or Jupiter at their brightest.  With a pair of good binoculars, you may be able to make out Saturn’s rings.  Venus passed between Earth and the Sun on October 24; it will become visible as a “morning star” over the next 2-3 weeks.  The constellation Cassiopeia looks like a “W” rotated about 90° and northeast of overhead at 11 PM.  The Milky Way is a faint band extending from Cassiopeia toward the southwest.  The Big Dipper is very low to the northwest and oriented just about right to hold water at 10 PM.

Forecast

High/low temperatures over the next 24 hours will be 49°/28°.  This weekend expect highs to be around 40° with lows in the upper 20s.  There is a good chance of rain/snow showers on both tomorrow and Saturday (Hallowe’en).  Be prepared for 20° Monday morning as the moisture moves out.  Over the following 10 days skies will be partly cloudy, highs will be around 50°, and lows will be in the upper 20s.  There could be more rain/snow showers on November 10-12.

Summit News (date unspecific)

Measure T Oversight Committee: Truckee Fire seek two volunteers to fill positions on its Measure T Citizens’ Oversight Committee, which oversees use of Measure T funds.  Applications are due November 6, and terms begin January 1, 2027.  For more details and the application, go to https://form.jotform.com/252864844745066

Cannabis Dispensary: Nevada County’s Board of Supervisors (BoS) approved solicitation of proposals for a cannabis dispensary in the Soda Springs or North San Juan areas at their meeting on October 6.  They then considered amendments to the proposal at their meeting on October 20.  More information, as of October 16, is contained in this memo 261016_cannabis_update.  The cannabis discussion on October 20 is at Item 38 in the BoS agenda, which is linked (indirectly) from the memo.

Truckee Fire Fuel Reduction: Tree thinning and removal is in progress along Hampshire Rocks/Donner Pass Road between Cisco Grove and Kingvale. The goal is to improve emergency access and egress along these key roadways.

Forestry Work around Serene Lakes: Forest health and wildfire resilience projects on Truckee Donner Land Trust property west of Hillside and north of Cascade/Pahatsi in Serene Lakes appear to be winding up.

DSA is Looking for an Administrative Assistant: This person would support the Donner Summit Association Board of Directors in day-to-day operations.  Expected average work load is 10 hours per month.  Pay is $25-40 per hour depending on experience and skills.  For more information see 260725a_duties

Placer County General Plan Update: The General Plan covers many important topics, including where housing and businesses get built, how we travel around Placer County, protecting the natural environment, and providing parks and community services.  Half of Donner Summit is in Placer County.  For more information on update activities visit https://www.placer.ca.gov/10433/General-Plan-2050

Fire Safety: Fire danger on Donner Summit is currently rated as “low” to “high”.  Residential burn permits, required since May 1, have been suspended throughout the Truckee Fire region.  Outdoor charcoal and wood fires — e.g., barbecues — are prohibited (gas only).   See https://www.truckeefire.org for more.

Defensible Space: A very informative Truckee Fire webinar on fire safety and defensible space is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COz0xBZ74FY&t=535s.  It runs about 51 minutes.  At least two other relevant videos — the documentary Standing Dead and a recording of a Steve Hawks (Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety) Zoom presentation — are available through the Eastern Regional Firewise Coalition web site at https://www.erfwc.org/.  You may need the passcode #2sK1jKw to view the Hawks recording.

Fire Inspections: With one exception, Donner Summit is scheduled for defensible space inspections by Truckee Fire this summer/fall.  The exception is Serene Lakes, which was inspected in 2024 and will be re-inspected in 2027.

Summit Calendar

October 31 (Saturday) 10 AM – 8 PM): Dead Man’s Jam at Boreal/Woodward. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced skating, scooting, and BMXing.  Costumes are highly recommended.  More details at https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/community/all-events/dead-mans-jam-2026/

October 31 and November 1 (Saturday and Sunday) 10 AM – 4 PM: Tube-or-Treat at Sugar Bowl — tubing on SnowFactory-made snow, a live DJ, trick or treating, refreshments, and a costume contest.  For more information, go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/tube-or-treat

November 2 (Monday) 5 PM PST: Registration deadline for the Central Sierra Snow Science School, which will be held at Donner Summit on January 13-15, 2027 (Wednesday-Friday).  Find more details at https://www.csslsnowschool.com/

November 6 (Friday) 5 PM: Application deadline for the Measure T Oversight Committee (see above under “Summit News”).

November 7 (Saturday) 11 AM – 4 PM: The 43rd Annual Truckee Ski & Snowboard Swap takes place at the Community Recreation Center in Truckee.  Admission is free.  There will be a silent auction and volunteer opportunities.  Debit or credit card transactions only.  For more information, including instructions for sellers, go to https://www.tdrpd.org/221/Truckee-Ski-Swap

November 8 (Sunday): Community Celebration Day and Winter Gear Swap at Donner Trail Elementary School — a 2026 substitution for the annual Thanksgiving benefit dinner while Sugar Bowl renovates. Campus tours showcasing student programs and community-funded achievements, local food trucks, family games, and a winter gear swap to prepare for the upcoming snow season.  More info at https://www.sierrasun.com/news/donner-trail-elementary-announces-community-celebration-day-nov-8/

November 19 (Thursday) 5-6 PM: DSA’s monthly Board of Directors meeting at the Engel & Volkers office in Truckee.  An agenda (including directions to the location) will be posted a few days before the meeting at  https://www.donnersummitca.com/dsa-meetings-info

December 5 (Saturday) 7-9 PM: Join Cody Townsend for the premiere of his new film Norman’s 13 at Clair Tappaan Lodge.  The film documents Cody’s and Tommy Caldwell’s WINTER traverse of Norman’s 13 — a route that connects twelve 14,000-foot peaks in the Sierra Nevada Range.  All proceeds support JMT Wilderness Conservation work to restore watersheds, wilderness, and wildlife in the High Sierra. Get tickets at  https://givebutter.com/support-the-restoration-of-211-miles-of-trail-o6ejtg or use the QR code in JMT FlyerpdfV2

Resorts

Boreal/Woodward: Woodward Tahoe is open Wednesday-Friday 1-8 PM, Saturdays and Sundays 10 AM – 8 PM; it is closed Monday-Tuesday.  Check https://www.rideboreal.com/explore/community/all-events/  for special events.

Sugar Bowl: Activities are limited while the new gondola is being installed.  It’s Sugar Bowl’s fourth gondola.  For a gondola history see https://www.sugarbowl.com/gondola-history.  There’s Tube-or-Treat this weekend at Sugar Rush.  Winter opening day November 27 (conditions permitting) has been announced.  For other news go to https://www.sugarbowl.com/home

Donner Ski Ranch: DSR’s Old 40 Bar and Grill remains open 7 days a week.  DSR offers beds, showers, and laundry to PCT thru-hikers and disc golf to anyone interested.  Thru-hikers 21 years and older can claim a 40 oz beer.  Check the DSR web site at https://www.donnerskiranch.com for more information.

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

Royal Gorge is closed for the season.  The resort is planning a Royal Gorge XC Ski Team for winter 2026-27; for more information, see https://www.sugarbowl.com/nordic-team.  Check https://www.royalgorge.com/home for other updates.

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 about avalanches on its website  https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/

A short report on the February 17 Perry Peak avalanche near Frog Lake has been posted at https://www.sierraavalanchecenter.org/observations/#/view/avalanches/83ba330a-5eb4-446e-95b0-495c26faf06b.  It points to a more in-depth report on avalanche.org.

Roads

I-80: The freeway is open and in good condition, but there are lane restrictions and ramp closures (both day and night, both east and west) that cause backups between Colfax and Truckee.  The Hwy 20 interchange with I-80 remains dynamic; for a recent report, visit  https://yubanet.com/regional/hwy-20-on-ramp-to-westbound-i-80-remains-closed-and-ongoing-construction-on-hwy-49/

Also, follow CalTrans reports at https://roads.dot.ca.gov and check I-80 webcams at https://caltranscameras.app/cameras/route/I-80

livetrafficcam.com provides pages with integrated camera feeds, which may be easier to navigate.  For Donner Summit visit  https://livetrafficcam.com/traffic-cameras/california/donner-pass/

General: Paved secondary roads around the Summit should be in good condition.  Rattlesnake Canyon Road (FR85) north from Cisco Grove was closed for four years starting in 2024 for construction at Fordyce Dam.