Tahoe swings straight from winter to summer

Wow, that was quick. One day I’m battling sleet and chipping an inch of ice off my car window and a few days later torrents of melting snow have the region in a flood watch, and I’ve opened every window in the house and pulled out the summer gear. This is definitely one of those winters we’ll be talking about for decades.

The snow was too much for us at Tahoe Weekly and as we prepared to publish our May 10 edition during a snowstorm, I made the call to cancel the edition. Along with our clients who couldn’t open their spring businesses, nearly every campground, trailhead, seasonal recreation site and golf course also couldn’t open. Rather than publish an edition of what was closed in Tahoe, I decided instead to cancel the edition. We published our digital-only content from the opening of Hard Rock’s Bloom Bar and the increase in Lake Tahoe’s clarity to the sale of the Cal Neva (again) to the new UNR exhibit on Dr. James Church (who invented how we still measure the snowpack) in our monthly newsletter. You can find all these articles at TheTahoeWeekly.com. Sign up for our newsletter at bit.ly/tahoe_newsletter

Despite the heavy snowpack we received in the Tahoe Sierra this winter, wildfire danger is still a concern. Several local fire officials have told me they are worried that locals, visitors and vacation homeowners will be lax in being prepared this summer because of the snowpack. Their message – wildfires are still a concern no matter how much snow we receive.

To help you be ready, you’ll find our 3rd annual Wildfire Preparedness Guide in this edition, full of information to prepare your family, checklists to be prepared for evacuation, how to ensure your home has defensible space, how to sign up for emergency alerts and much more. The digital version of this guide is also available at issuu.com/TheTahoeWeekly.

In this edition you’ll also find the 16th Ultimate Tahoe Summer Bucket List to kick off your Tahoe adventures. Top of my list every summer: Time on Lake Tahoe, hiking and more hiking, paddleboarding, beach time, repeat. Higher-elevation trails will be inaccessible for some time, so explore Lake Tahoe and Truckee’s meadows, state parks and beaches. Most of all, slow down (ready Priya Hutner ’s feature on “Renew, rejuvenate with spring reset”), tip well, be thankful you’re in Tahoe and enjoy.

Katherine E. Hill

& EDITOR IN CHIEF