GREATER LAKE TAHOE AREA, Calif. / Nev. – Although the calendar, plants, daylight and potentially some resident’s mindsets have shifted into spring, it appears the weather has had different plans.

Mt. Rose Ski resort celebrated closing day on Sunday, April 27 with 11-15 inches of snow from the weekend’s snowstorms, forcing them to cancel their annual pond skim event. Palisades Tahoe reported 5 inches of snow at their base and 11 inches up top and despite receiving this winter weather, transitioned into spring skiing hours (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.) starting April 28.

Although the storm may have caught flowers by surprise, Jeff Anderson at the Natural Resources Conservation Service says, “It is certainly not unusual to continue to get snow into April or even May. Skiers relish late season powder as a bonus.”

He remembers last year’s Cinco de Mayo storm that provided great skiing and notes it isn’t uncommon for Memorial Day camping trips to get spoiled by snow in Tahoe.

While the fresh snow means late season powder turns and excitement for skiers and riders, every bit of water makes a difference for our water supply. However, Anderson explains, given the melt since early April, these storms don’t officially factor into peak snow water content for the winter, which measures the water equivalent in the snowpack.

Despite the precipitation the region has seen, April is still below the monthly norm at most of the service’s monitoring sites.

“Hopefully, the wet pattern continues and perhaps boosts the month closer to normal before May begins,” Anderson says.

It appears more weather is on the way with April’s end with a chance of showers Tuesday and Wednesday. Then as the week transitions into the first weekend of May, the forecast calls for snow Saturday and Sunday at varying elevations.