Aimee Doran is going to have a busy next few days. The sponsored skier from Olympic Valley, California, works part-time as what she jokingly calls a “snow removal specialist.” She shovels snow for a property manager near the base of Squaw Valley ski area, clearing the sidewalks of local businesses, the post office, and homes in the valley. With a predicted three to six feet of snow about to hit the Lake Tahoe region in the season’s biggest storm yet, Doran is prepping for some long hours.
“I start shoveling at 5:30 in the morning when it’s still dark. Then I go skiing as soon as the lifts open,” Doran says. “Usually with Tahoe’s big storm cycles, it doesn’t stop snowing, so after skiing, I’ll go shovel all those properties all over again. When I finally get home, I have to shovel my own deck.”
The Sierra has had an underwhelming start to the winter so far, with just 50 percent of average snowfall. But this storm is expected to bring an atmospheric river of moisture and precipitation, with cold temperatures that will bring snow levels down to around 3,000 feet in elevation, accompanied by high winds.