February 2017
More than 20 feet of snow… It’s been a memorable start to 2017. Tahoe Donner and the surrounding region received more than 20 feet of snow in January, with more in the forecast for the remaining winter months. There are some great photos in this issue, along with video content from the storms on the association website and Facebook page. This series of record setting winter January storm activity has left an incredible snowpack for our winter operations allowing for fantastic conditions to be had at Tahoe Donner Downhill and Cross Country Ski Areas. In fact, Snowplay has some of the largest tubing lanes in Tahoe Donner history.
However, this series of storms has also taken a toll on the infrastructure of the community, from roads, culverts, and powerlines, to countless fallen trees, power outages, and significant road closures.
The Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) released a statement regarding the recent weather challenges mid-January. It read in part, “The greater Truckee community continues to respond to a series of severe winter storms that forced the Town of Truckee to declare a state of emergency and caused power outages, traffic delays, school closures, falling trees and flooding. This historic series of storms started on Jan. 4 and lasted through Jan. 12. TDPUD’s electric crews have been working day and night to restore power as quickly as possible and to keep our community safe.”
When the most significant weather passed, we were able to literally dig out and reopen Tahoe Donner facilities several times with only limited closures. However, several times this past month 4WD, AWD with snow tires or 2WD with chains and high clearance vehicles were considered mandatory for driving in Tahoe Donner. For the Martin Luther King weekend, we offered a complimentary shuttle from Northwoods Clubhouse to homeowner residences due to the snow and road conditions that weekend. The shuttle ran Saturday through Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
I would like to thank the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Department of Public Works, Truckee Police Department, Town of Truckee and Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD). All have worked diligently to keep residents and visitors alike safe, with roads clear and power on.
For travel in the Sierra Nevada and in preparation of future winter storms, below are some helpful resources.
- The local forecast of the National Weather Service (NWS): http://forecast.weather.gov/
- See the latest road conditions at the Caltrans website, including viewing the I-80 traffic webcams: https://www.dot.ca.gov/
- If you’re interested in finding out what the Department of Public Works snow removal equipment is up to, the Town of Truckee provides a live site for you. Visit Truckee 511 at www.511portal.com/truckee. The Town of Truckee also updates storm event information on their website.
- The Truckee Police Department issues important community messages via the Nixle system, where you can receive timely emails or text message updates.
- For information on the public utility district (Truckee Donner Public Utility District): tdpud.org/departments/electric/contact-electric-utility. California
- Office of Emergency Service: myhazards.caloes.ca.gov.
- Homeland Security: ready.gov/floods. More storm readiness tips can be found at www.tahoedonner.com/storm-readiness-tips.
Enjoy your winter resort!
Robb Etnyre | General Manager