Winter decided to crash the early fall party in Tahoe, and skiers are here for it. A surprise cold front rolled through the region, dropping a cheeky couple of inches of snow on Saturday that left mountain enthusiasts buzzing with anticipation.

A Snowy Spartan Challenge

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows didn’t disappoint, sharing epic photos of Spartan Race participants trudging through an unexpected winter wonderland. Imagine running an already brutal obstacle course with snowflakes kissing your face, talk about hardcore adventure goals.

While the snowfall was brief, it was enough to get locals and weekend warriors dreaming of powder days. OpenSnow reported one to three inches blanketing ski areas, a tantalizing preview of the upcoming season. The roads near Yosemite briefly closed, adding to the dramatic mountain mood.

Warming Trends

Before you start waxing your skis, hold up. Temperatures are expected to climb back into the 60s this week, meaning this snow will vanish faster than your post-ski après beers. This isn’t even the first snow of the season, Tahoe saw some flurries just two weeks ago.

For context, Squaw Valley just wrapped an epic season that extended into July, proving once again that Tahoe’s mountain culture plays by its own rules. The official ski season is still penciled in for November 15, but Mother Nature might have other plans.

Stay tuned, snow bunnies, Tahoe’s always got a surprise up its sleeve.