After weeks of bare hillsides and limited terrain, ski resorts in Northern California's Sierra Nevada are seeing a welcome turnaround as holiday storms bring much-needed snow, with more on the way.
A powerful storm system last week dropped several feet of snow across the Sierra, transforming once-brown slopes into a winter landscape and giving resorts like Boreal a major boost.
"We had a Christmas miracle up here," said Tucker Norred, marketing director at Boreal Mountain. "That storm absolutely delivered."
Just weeks ago, Boreal was operating with only one chair lift open and relying heavily on snowmaking. Now, resort officials say terrain is expanding daily as snow continues to pile up.
Visitors say the change has been dramatic.
"We thought we were going to come up here and there was going to be no snow," said Mayra Lopez, who traveled from the Bay Area. "But we were so happy when we saw a lot of rain coming down, which means a lot of snow."
For some, the storm created unexpected winter experiences. Bella Cai, also visiting from the Bay Area, said it was her first time ever seeing snow. "I've never seen snow before," she said.
Others, like Lily Herson from Dallas, were able to take advantage of fresh conditions for snowmobiling and multiple days of skiing.
While December storms have helped resorts regain momentum, state officials say California's snowpack still has ground to make up. Earlier this week, the Department of Water Resources conducted its first snow survey of the season, finding the statewide snowpack at 71 percent of average, well below last December's 115 percent.
Still, optimism remains high as another storm moves into the region.
"At the end of this next storm that's coming through, we'll be 100 percent open, every lift and every run," Norred said.
With colder air expected this weekend, snow levels could drop to around 5,500 feet, giving resorts renewed hope that this recent turnaround is just the beginning of a stronger winter season in the Sierra.
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