Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a year-round mountain destination located along the Sierra Crest in the Eldorado National Forest south of Lake Tahoe in California. The terrain at Kirkwood offers skiers and riders everything from long groomed trails to expert lines and chutes. The village contains ski-in, ski-out accommodations with adjacent shops and restaurants.
Current Snow and Ski Conditions
The Kirkwood snow report for December 27 indicates a 20" base depth with 6 of 13 lifts open.
Please note ski conditions and snowfall at Kirkwood are sourced directly from the ski resort and are only recorded during the official ski season's opening to closing dates.
OpenSnow Report Last Updated: Dec 27
- Base: 20"
- Depth vs Average: 45% vs average of 44" on Dec 27
Recent Snowfall
Here’s a summary of recent snowfall at Kirkwood:
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- Monday: 4"
- Tuesday: 6"
- Wednesday: 12"
- Thursday: 21"
- Friday: 20"
- Saturday: 7"
Weather Forecast
Here's the latest weather forecast for Kirkwood:
- Mostly sunny skies through Tuesday with milder temperatures by Tuesday.
- Increasing clouds on Wednesday with a chance of showers by evening.
- Rain and high elevation snow for Thursday.
- A colder storm moves in Friday into Saturday.
- Another storm is possible the week of the 5th.
Then a drier pattern is possible into the 2nd week of January.
AI Overview of Snow Conditions
Firm, mostly sunny groomer conditions with no new snow continue through Tuesday, then turn milder and wetter Wednesday with light rain and soft, slushy snow. A stronger storm Thursday-Friday brings rain changing to several inches of accumulating snow, followed by an active, colder pattern with significant additional snowfall likely next weekend and into early next week.
Detailed Weather Forecast
Weather Forecast for Kirkwood at 2682 m altitude
Issued: 3 am 28 Dec 2025 (local time)
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New snow in Kirkwood: 5.1cm/2.0in on Wed 31st (after 9 PM)
The snow forecast for Kirkwood is: Mostly dry. Freeze-thaw conditions (max 6°C on Tue morning, min -3°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun night, light winds from the E by Mon night).
Kirkwood Weather (Next 3 days):
The snow forecast for Kirkwood is: Mostly dry. Freeze-thaw conditions (max 6°C on Tue morning, min -3°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Sun night, light winds from the E by Mon night).
Kirkwood Weather (Days 4-6):
A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Fri night. Freeze-thaw conditions (max 4°C on Wed morning, min -7°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, gales from the S by Fri night).
6 Day Forecast
Issued: 3 am 28 Dec 2025
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The above table gives the weather forecast for Kirkwood at the specific elevation of 2682 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Kirkwood.
Understanding the Snow Report
The snow report describes the piste and off-piste ski conditions at Kirkwood. Piste and off-piste are often different so we ask snow reporters to describe Kirkwood piste and off-piste conditions separately.
If these details are missing from the Kirkwood snow report, you can predict off-piste conditions using the snow depth, the date of the most recent snowfall at Kirkwood, the Kirkwood weather report and the forecast.
Members can check the hindcast for a timeline of Kirkwood weather conditions. This detailed weather log makes it easy to predict snow conditions at Kirkwood, even when the snow report is too old to be useful.
The hindcast shows when our weather model last predicted snowfall at Kirkwood. It shows how much snow we think fell then, and the way freezing level, wind and weather have varied through time.
You will be able to predict whether to expect off-piste powder, slush, spring snow, ice or wind crust.
If you see a report of powder or fresh snow conditions several days after snow last fell, there is usually a good reason. At crowded ski resorts, off-piste new snow will be tracked out within hours of a fresh fall but wherever crowds are light in relation to the accessible terrain, it will be possible to stay fresh much later, perhaps several days later.
Alternatively, strong winds sometimes redistribute powder snow enough to cover old tracks, or it may simply be that the ski area was not fully open for some period after the snow fell, so fresh snow that fell a while ago has remained un-tracked until this report.
Whenever weather conditions change, Kirkwood snow conditions will change too, so it is important to check the time and date of the Kirkwood snow report and to guess what effect the weather will have had on snow quality between then and now.
For example, the Kirkwood snow report on Friday afternoon may indicate fresh powder but if Friday night is mild and rainy then ski conditions will be very poor on Saturday morning. Conversely, if the weather stays stable and cold, the same snow report can be valid for more than a week.
We advise that you check the Kirkwood snow forecast to see if conditions are likely to change before your visit.
Many skiers enjoy moguls and fast icy pistes but for off-piste skiers and free-ride snowboarders, fresh snow starts to deteriorate from the moment it settles.
Wind, rain and periods of above-freezing temperature are the primary cause of the evolution from fresh powder to windslab, ice or slush.
High altitude slopes that are shaded from the sun and sheltered from the wind preserve powder stashes longer after fresh snowfall.
If the snow report mentions pockets of powder at Kirkwood, study the Kirkwood piste map in relation to the wind direction to determine the most likely locations.
Important Considerations
We stress the importance of checking the date on the Kirkwood snow report particularly around weekends. For example, the snow report for Kirkwood on Friday may indicate powder after recent snowfall but following a sunny and busy weekend, when the locals hit the mountains en masse, the ski conditions (at any resort) can deteriorate rapidly and late arrivals may see very different ski conditions.
Of course some people look for deteriorating conditions in the snow report for the likely development of mogul fields but for powder lovers and particularly snowboarders this can mean tracked out off-piste snow.
Of course, this doesn’t always happen quickly after fresh snowfall particularly at quiet North facing resorts at high altitude where genuine powder stashes may be found days or even weeks later.
It is worth checking the piste map for Kirkwood (found in menu above) for the location of favourable slopes that may be described in the "Kirkwood Snow Conditions" part of the snow report.
Getting to Kirkwood
Kirkwood Mountain Ski Resort is located about one and a half hours from Reno and two hours from Sacramento. If you’re driving, avoid the Mormon Emigrant Trail, Shake Ridge Road and Fiddletown Road.
The two closest airports are Reno/Tahoe International Airport and Sacramento International Airport. You can rent a car from the airport.
There are also luxury shuttle buses from major areas like San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Oakland and more that run most weekends and some weekdays.
Visitor Reviews
Overall: 3.2 Based on 4 votes and 4 reviews
Edward from United States writes:
Kirkwood offers some of the best snow in the region, with extensive expert terrain and fewer crowds compared to other nearby resorts. Parking is close and convenient. However, food services are lacking.
Favorite runs: 2-man Chute, Olympic, Sisters Chute, Whiskey Slide.
Epic Kirkwood Powder Day (12/30/2021)
tags: #kirkwood #ski #resort #snow #conditions