Kirkwood
CA · 9,800 ft summit · RNO
NWS Bias
2025–26 Season Snapshot
Storms This Season
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storms tracked
Season Snowfall
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season total
Best Storm
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no storms yet
Current Snowpack
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SNOTEL ground truth
NWS Forecast Accuracy
Accuracy grade pending, and it stays that way on purpose. We show the raw NWS forecast for Kirkwood and do not grade or correct it. Six winters of NWS-against-SNOTEL checking found forecast accuracy here turns on an unresolved snow-measurement question (settled snow depth vs. fresh snowfall), not a fixed per-mountain bias anyone can honestly correct. So we show the number NWS publishes and tell you that is what it is.
SNOTEL ground truth (356:CA:SNTL)
Storm History — 2025–26 Season
No storms recorded this season yet.
Local Knowledge
TGR Community IntelStorm Day Strategy
Drive to Kirkwood is 2+ hours minimum and becomes 'heinous' in storm conditions. Monitor Highway 88 access - road can close. Wednesday/Thursday with active snow preferable to weekend. Avoid storm day travel if possible; wait for day-after conditions when road clears and terrain is freshly worked. Storm mid-week (Thu/Fri) optimal for weekend access. Monday-Tuesday visits capture tracked-out but stable conditions. Plan parking reservation well in advance for storm-adjacent days (weekends). Mid-day lift closures possible (Spur closed 12 PM, reopened 3 PM example); rare but factor into day planning.
Terrain Opening Patterns
Chair 6
Opens: Early access, short lines on powder days
Outer Sentinel accessible from Chair 6, often has untracked snow
Chair 9
Opens: 9am scheduled opening
On schedule for standard 9am but wind gusts can impact
Powder Stashes
Outer Sentinel
Accessible via Chair 6, traversed from main area
12/17 report: untracked until bottom, silky, decently deep lap; favorite terrain for locals
Wagon Wheel
Off Chair 6 line, accessed via patroller route
Became accessible 12/17 when opened mid-morning; good for avoiding immediate crowding
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Based on 241 community reports · 2023-11-12 → 2026-03-17
Road & Access
US-50 Echo Summit
OpenNo chain controls are in effect at this time.
SR-89 Tahoe Connector
OpenNo chain controls are in effect at this time.
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