California Ski Resorts Bracing for Strong Winter Storm—Over 12 Inches of Snow Forecasted

A compact storm is expected to arrive Wednesday night through Friday (November 12-14, 2025), primarily affecting upper elevations.

The only true storm chasing window is Friday at Mammoth, which opens that morning and should see 8–12 inches from Thursday night into Friday, focused above 9,000 feet with dense, surfy snow and lighter winds. Tahoe resorts remain closed but gain helpful upper-mountain base with lighter totals, mainly Thursday night into Friday.

Keep reading for a breakdown of the storm that's expected to dump 2-16 inches of snow across northern California ski resorts.

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Snow Forecast for Popular Ski Resorts

• Northstar: 2 to 3 inches
• Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe (Nevada): 2 to 4 inches
• Heavenly: 3 to 5 inches
• Palisades Tahoe: 5 to 8 inches
• Sugar Bowl: 5 to 8 inches
• Kirkwood: 9 to 14 inches
• Mammoth: 11 to 16 inches

Key Points

Good

Dense, surfy accumulations target high elevations with the best totals at Mammoth and Kirkwood. Winds ease Friday, improving quality and access. Temperatures hover near freezing, which helps the new snow bond to existing surfaces and build an early base above 7,000–8,000 feet.

Bad

Snow levels run high at times, especially early, so many Tahoe bases sit at or below the snow line and see rain or wet snow. The snow is mostly dense (SLR generally 6–9), not blower. Strong ridge-top winds peak late Wednesday night into Thursday and can create uneven coverage or crust where rain mixes in at lower elevations.

Wildcards

Snow levels carry a wide spread and may wobble by roughly one to two thousand feet, which will make a big difference near base elevations. Crest winds and spillover could shift localized winners along the crest and the Carson Range. Small changes in timing Thursday night affect how much falls before Friday morning bell.

Daily Forecast

Wednesday, Nov 12

Quiet and mild during the day. Light snow begins late for Mammoth with only a dusting by Thursday morning at upper elevations. No chase opportunities.

Thursday, Nov 13

Storm ramps up. Resorts are closed, so treat this as base-building. Mammoth stacks 2–3 inches by late afternoon combining Wednesday night plus Thursday day, with high snow levels near 9,000 feet and dense snow. Kirkwood picks up 1–2 inches during the day ahead of the main pulse at night. Tahoe west-side bases see rain or wet snow with snow mainly above 7,000–8,000 feet. Strong winds continue on ridges.

Friday, Nov 14

Chase Mammoth. Combining Thursday night plus Friday day yields 8–12 inches for Mammoth, most of it overnight (7–11 inches) with another 1 inch during the day. Expect dense to moderately dense powder (SLR about 7–9), best above 9,000 feet; base elevations may be wetter at times.

Winds are expected to trend lighter on Friday, which should improve the snow quality. Tahoe ski resorts remain closed, but get useful upper-mountain snow mainly from Thursday night: Kirkwood 8–12, Palisades 5–8, Sugar Bowl 5–8, Heavenly 3–5, Northstar 2–3, Mt. Rose 2–3 inches by Friday afternoon. Snow levels run 6,800–7,900 feet in Tahoe, so count on base-area rain or a wet mix at the lower hills and better accumulations up high.

Saturday, Nov 15

No meaningful refresh. Mammoth sees only a half to one inch from Friday night into Saturday day, so not a new-snow chase. Cooler temps and lighter winds should preserve Friday’s upper-mountain snow on shaded aspects.

Forecast Details

A short but potent wave drives strong crest winds late Wednesday night through Thursday, then winds ease Friday. Snow levels start high then lower into the favorable range Thursday night.

Mammoth/Mono County:

Snow levels hover near or just above the Main Lodge for much of the event (about 8,200–9,000 feet), so the best quality targets the upper mountain. Totals through Friday are solid for an opener: about 8–12 inches from Thu night–Fri, with storm-period totals 11–16 inches. SLR trends in the dense to moderate range (mostly 6–9). Winds are moderate compared to Tahoe and decrease Friday, which favors smoother surfaces and less wind crust up high.

Tahoe and Nearby

The main burst arrives Thursday night into Friday with the west-side crest and high basins favored. Expect Kirkwood 8–12, Palisades 5–8, Sugar Bowl 5–8, Heavenly 3–5, Northstar 2–3, Mt Rose 2–3 by Friday afternoon. SLR mostly 6–9 indicates denser snow. Snow levels generally 6,800–7,900 feet Thursday night into Friday, so base-area rain or a wet mix is likely at lower-elevation bases like Palisades, Heavenly, and Northstar, while Mt Rose stays all-snow thanks to its high base. Winds peak Thursday with strong ridge gusts, then ease Friday with lingering breezes on the highest exposed terrain.

Extended Outlook

A cooler, more active pattern is favored to persist into mid to late next week for the West. Look for additional systems to brush the Sierra with periodic snow chances and generally below-normal temperatures in the mountains.