News

General Conditions

Weather over the past week has been slightly unsettled — a little precipitation last weekend but daytime highs of 55±5° and overnight lows 30-35° since then — so OK to be outdoors.  That’s going to change in the next 24 hours.   Find more details about the past 24 hours, past week, and past month on the Central Sierra Snow Lab web site at https://cssl.berkeley.edu/.

Purple Air AQI around the Summit continues in single digits — excellent air quality.  There are no active wildfires in the area.  USFS has lifted seasonal fire restrictions, but Truckee Fire rates the fire danger as “moderate”.

Sunrise/Sunset: Today’s (November 12) sunrise was at 6:41 AM, about 8 minutes later than a week ago.  Sunset will be at 4:48 PM, about 7 minutes earlier than last week.  The days are getting shorter — by about 2-1/2 minutes each day.

Star Gazing: The Moon was new Sunday (November 8) at 11:02 PM; the next 7 days will be marginal for evening stargazing.  Saturn is the only planet easily visible in the evening ski.  Look for it 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 couple weeks.  Jupiter and Mars are already in the morning sky.  The constellation Cassiopeia looks like an upside down “W” slightly northeast of overhead at 10-11 PM.  Orion is rising in the southeast sky around 10 PM.

Forecast

Today will be sunny on Donner Summit with a high of 56° and an overnight low of 34°.  The National Weather Service has posted a Winter Storm Warning for tomorrow (Friday) 10 AM through Saturday 10 AM.  Predicted snowfall is 6-11 inches and temperatures will range between 36° (tomorrow’s high) and 22° Saturday morning.  After the storm ends, Saturday should be partly cloudy with high/low temperatures of 41°/23°.  There’s a 50-50 chance of more snow Sunday afternoon, continuing to Monday.  Expect Tuesday to be partly cloudy with more snow Wednesday and Thursday.  Then there will be a few days of partly cloudy, before temperatures warm early the following week.  Expect the week leading to Thanksgiving to be a mix of rain and snow (about 40% chance each day) with temperatures 42°/24°.  This is shoulder season; make sure you throw a rain jacket over your shoulder before heading outdoors.

Summit News (date unspecific)

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.

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

Summit Calendar

November 13 (7:30-9:00 AM): Manufacturer’s Meet-up in Grass Valley, sponsored by Nevada County’s Economic Resource Council.  Designed for owners, executives, managers, and key team members of Nevada County manufacturing businesses who want to stay informed, address challenges, strengthen connections, and identify opportunities for growth.  For more information, see 261113_manufacturers2

November 15 (Sunday) 5:45 PM – : Screening of the documentary “Standing Dead: Overstocked, Overgrown, Overdue” followed by a panel discussion about the devastating 2020 North Complex Fire (Butte County) and how dense forests and heavy fuels contribute to extreme wildfire behavior.  Doors open at 5:45; screening starts at 6.  Alibi Ale Works, Truckee.  More info at https://alibialeworks.com/events/standing-dead-documentary-panel-discussion/

November 18 (Wednesday) 5:30-7:30 PM: Join the Climate Transformation Alliance for an informative evening exploring the relationships among wildfire risk, climate change, insurance, and community resilience.  Truckee Town Council Chambers and live stream.  For more information and registration, go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8tzbdlyR0fBRCxotkOGu81TbQk1s070dGrIpYyhfxfp36QQ/viewform

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.  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 (if there are any left) 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.  CalTrans posts updates; for a recent one visit https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-3/d3-news/d3-news-release-26-176

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, but watch for mud and snow after the latest storms pass through.  Rattlesnake Canyon Road (FR85) north from Cisco Grove was closed for four years starting in 2024 for construction at Fordyce Dam.