California Ski Resort Warns Guests That 'Mother Nature Is Calling The Shots'

Bear Valley Ski Resort, CA, is gearing up for the most significant snowstorm since last year's record breaking snowfall, with multiple feet of snow in their forecast.

Given the upcoming weather, the resort also has a few advisories for those hoping to ski as soon as possible.

Officials at Bear Valley write, "we’re stoked for Miracle March but Mother Nature is calling the shots this weekend and we want to ensure you’re prepared for the upcoming weekend weather."

Mother Nature calling the shots is an understatement. Roads across California have seen truck accidents, and skiers from far off-mountain are advised to stay home until conditions improve.

Bear Valley details that the snowfall is scheduled to begin late Thursday, intensify across the Sierra on Friday, and continue through Saturday.

Because Bear Valley is directly in the path of this massive storm (a plus for skiing conditions, a minus for driving conditions), guests can expect a remarkable accumulation of snow, especially at higher elevations, with several feet of snowfall anticipated.

Bear Valley issues the warning, like many resorts also affected by this storm, that skiers should make sure they have chains, 4x4 vehicles, and snow tires ready for safe navigation through winter conditions.

Officials of the resort advise those traveling to stay up-to-date on the conditions by checking the Caltrans website for the latest updates on Highway 4 road conditions.

Besides driving, there is also mountain safety. Deep snow means the potential for tree-well incidents, human-triggered avalanches, and general danger while skiing due to snow, wind, and low visibility. Ski in a group, bring your avalanche safety equipment, and make sure you are prepared for things to go wrong if they do.

It will all be worth it when the snow falls, though. The mountain is looking at a potential 8-12 inches today, 17-23 inches tonight, 13-19 inches on Friday, 22-28 inches on Friday night, 20-26 inches on Saturday, and 14-20 inches on Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. 

As long as we all stay safe through the storm and use our best risk assessment and on-mountain judgement, we will reap the deep rewards next week.

Get those fat skis ready, but don't feel like you need to whip them out just yet. You can't ski if you're buried under snow or stuck in a crashed car off the road.

Related: Do Not Travel To Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts This Weekend

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