A weekend Sierra storm blanketed Heavenly Ski Resort , Lake Tahoe, with five feet of powder in three days. In total, the resort has received more than seven feet of new snow since Friday, Dec. 13.

El Nino finally settling down
"The systems across the Pacific have definitely shifted to a more normal weather pattern for an El Nino year. The medium range models show unsettled weather all the way to Christmas," explained broadcast meteorologist Chris Larson. "The storm door has definitely opened and this will be a fantastic holiday season for skiers and snowboarders throughout the Lake Tahoe region."

Temperatures are remaining cold throughout the day making the snow light and dry at the resort's top elevation of 10,067 feet, Lake Tahoe's highest. The current storm pattern is one of the most powerful systems the region has seen since the 1996/97 El Nino winter when as much as six feet of snow fell in three days during the Christmas holiday week.

"Past El Nino years have treated Heavenly very well. This year appears to be no exception," stated Heavenly's Vice President of Marketing, John Wagnon. "Christmas certainly came early to Lake Tahoe! This is exactly what we needed to launch the holiday season with optimum conditions."

100% of terrain open by Saturday
As a result of the abundant snowfall, Heavenly will continue opening additional terrain every day this week. The resort expects to offer skiing and snowboarding over 100 percent of its 4,800 acres by Saturday; including the double-diamond, gate-accessed areas of Mott and Killebrew Canyons in Nevada. Settled base depths are topping out at five and a half feet and surface conditions are powder, machine groomed, packed powder and skier packed powder.

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