Dangerous Weather Forces Sierra Resorts To Close Sunday

TRUCKEE, Calif. (CBS13) -- Holiday vacationers had to see the Sierra slopes from inside the lodge at the bottom of the hill after extreme winds forced many resorts to shut down the weekend before Christmas.

Businesses near the resorts reported less-than-stellar tourist traffic Sunday after wind gusts cracked the 100 MPH mark and forced ski resorts like Sugar Bowl to halt operations due to the blinding conditions.

"We haven't near the customers or the people enjoying the Sierra that we anticipated," said Maria Montano, on duty at the Summit Restaurant near Sugar Bowl. "Last year it was a great weekend for us. Unfortunately, that's not the story this year."

Sugar Bowl reported more than a foot of snow had fallen by Sunday night, and other resorts reported even more. Squaw said two to three feet of snow fell on the lower mountain, and eight to 12 feet of snow fell in the upper elections; Heavenly received three feet of new snow; Boreal reported two to two and a half feet of new snow; and Alpine Meadows reported more than three and a half feet of fresh powder.

"It's actually a really good sign because it will leave a base for months to come," Montano said.

Ski resort employees said they hope the resorts will reopen to the public Monday, but a final decision will depend on overnight conditions.