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Northstar Resort has closed for the season, and ironically, the April [snow] showers have begun. The cardinal motif for the 2013-2014 Lake Tahoe ski season was continual high pressure systems. These systems did not migrate away from the coast as they usually do, which kept us from reaping the benefits of Tahoe’s traditional wet winter storms. Instead, it was rock skipping and terrain park lapping with eyes kept constantly on weather forecast models and fingers optimistically crossed. Locals harvested money saved due to lack of necessity of ski tuning, backcountry gear purchases, and ACL surgeries. In the après scene this past season, one was much less likely to overhear ski bums boasting about “number of days on the mountain,” and more likely to listen in on talk of road trip itineraries concocted around chasing storms to snowier places like Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Regardless of the lack of natural precipitation, Northstar Resort did an exceptional job creating and maintaining snow throughout the ski season to keep as many trails open as possible for the public to enjoy. We saw plenty of skier traffic on the mountain and lots of smiles on the snow all season long. Adding to the common ski town adage that, “Any day on the mountain is a good day,” we would like to say that, “Any season in the warm sunshine, on whatever form of snow is at hand, is a good season!” Unsurprisingly, the few snowy days that we did receive in February and March were thoroughly enjoyed by every eager snow sports enthusiast within a 200 mile radius.

As for the Tahoe-Truckee real estate market, it performed more on par with the pow days of Colorado. We continue to see the market strengthen as demand for properties in the region increases, along with average price. The transaction momentum has been picking up significantly throughout the spring, and this trend is likely to continue into summer.

As for next winter, keep those fingers faithfully crossed for the forecasted El Niño!