Tahoe City, CA (Monday, May 23, 2005) - While some other regions of the U.S. were doing the snow dance throughout much of the 2004/05 winter, Lake Tahoe resorts were basking in feet upon feet of the ski and snowboard season's most sought after commodity.

Record-breaking storms blanketed the area and made national headlines over the Christmas and New Year holidays, accumulating 19 feet of snow in just two weeks - the most the Sierra Nevada has seen since 1916. The New Year boom pushed Lake Tahoe to the top of ski destinations in terms of snowfall - no other North American or European ski resort could top the area's snow pack during that time. This was just a glimpse into what would turn out to be one of the area's best winter in years.

While most North Tahoe ski resorts closed in mid to late April, Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley USA will remain open until May 30 - the last operating resorts in Lake Tahoe. Squaw Valley currently checks in with 491 cumulative inches this season, as of May 9. The number signifies the most snowfall in five years. Last year Squaw totals reported only 350 inches.

According to Rachael Woods, public relations spokesperson for Alpine Meadows, this was the resort's fifth largest season in 30 years and the area's snow pack is well above average.

"Considering there's still ten feet of snow at our base and 15 at mid mountain, you can say we've had an incredible season," Woods said.

Tahoe resorts will be working through summer to prepare for next winter. Alpine Meadows will replace its Sherwood triple chair with a high-speed quad and Northstar-at-Tahoe plans to open Phase I of its new pedestrian village in December.