Then and now: The winter that would never end
By Jan. 1, 1952, more than 20 feet of snow had fallen on the Sierra Nevada since October. Starting on Jan. 10, another 12-plus feet fell within a week.
Mt. Rose Highway in July 1952. Photo/North Lake Tahoe Historical Society
Total snow depth that winter topped 50 feet at Donner Summit, and about 20 feet at South Shore. Interstate 80 did not exist yet. Road travel to Truckee and North Shore was via old two-lane Highway 40 which remained closed for a month. Access to South Shore was possible sometimes via Highway 50, but cause for wintertime travel to Tahoe was minimal in 1952.
The Southern Pacific Railroad streamliner City of San Francisco, which was headed west with 222 passengers, was stalled at Donner Pass snow for three days. Click here for a classic newsreel account.
Meanwhile, on the Nevada side of the Sierra, the Mt. Rose Highway in July 1952 had snow towering above vehicles six months after the big storms.
This is what Mt. Rose Highway looked like in July 2014. Photo/Bill Kingman
In the photo above it is possible to see the broadcast tower on Slide Mountain on the south side of the highway.
— Bill Kingman
I was not yet 15, on my first ever visit to Tahoe. The family had driven from home (Los Angeles) to Sacramento to visit relatives, and got their troublesome son onto an old White (the company became GMC) ‘bus’ to Tahoe, to visit cousins who owned a business here. Not long after I arrived, the snow fell…fell…and continued to fall. I was sliding to the street from the 3rd story dormer room I stayed in, off what we now call Upper Truckee Rd. No way to leave town; roads closed, never heard/saw the ones over the summits being open, as I remember. When we went ‘into town’ it was by a Ford Model A, which had the tires removed and rebar (I think) welded across the rims, making the wheels look sort of like a tractor’s. Ham radio might sometimes be able to get messages out, phones wouldn’t. The amount of snow was huge. Food in town was running out, I think Barkleys meat lockers off Hy 50 and Herbert were empty (?)… kids had no milk, people were hunting deer, most of the town that could move around at all seemed to gather at Harvey’s old saloon and gas pumps at Stateline….I eventually managed to get out of town by bribing the pilot of the airplane that brought in food to the old airport…Mr. Gross himself sold me the booze. LOTS more memories from that January.
Well Bill, now THAT was some serious snow! I strongly suggest to any one who reads “Then and Now” to click on the link Bill provided of a short newsreel from the storm of 1952.
Good stuff, Bill Kingman! Old Long Skiis(who wishes for a winter like 52′)
This history is wishful thinking about our future.
Winter snows in Tahoe remind me of a beautifully wrapped unopened gift. You never know what it may hold for you.
Spouse – 4-mer-usmc
Keep it up, Bill Kingman. You are providing a great memory service with your photos and stories. Ol Long Skis, you aren’t far behind with your memorabilia, but don’t wish for a winter our city’s residents can’t handle.
LAURA,Yes ,after I wrote that, I thought, well? a good winter,YES! but maybe not THAT much snow!
One year, somewhere in the 60’s, it snowed so much by the time we shoveled the snow off the roof of the house we could’nt see out the windows! The house was totally encased in snow, but hey, the roof was clear!
So yeah, be careful what you wish for. OLS
I remember that winter very well, We lived on Birch St.
off Ski Run Blvd. I think we missed 5 weeks of school but had to make it up in the spring and summer.
Hope that those types of winter return to Tahoe so that people understand the importance of the Cities Snow Removal program.
The winter of 1952 was a record setter but it can and will happen again. Boy will you hear some complaints then!! Just hope that they have a crew that can handle it and equipment to handle it.
Old Long Skiis I remember that winter well it was 1969. Missing all that school time was great until we had to make it up later. Some interesting statitics of winter snowfall can be found with this link http://www.thestormking.com/Weather/Sierra_Snowfall/sierra_snowfall.html
Tom Fay, yes, a big winter would be a real challenge for what’s left of our road maintenace crew here in SLT.CalTrans does a pretty good job with hwy 50, but with the reduced number of city workers, becauase of our budget, they will be hard pressed to to keep the residential streets clear of snow if we have a heavy winter. Enjoy Arizona, Tom, Old long Skiis.
p.s. Morris Woods asked me to say hello tou you. He told me he was trained by you many years ago to run a grader for the city, his first job as a heavy equipment opertator.
Thanks, “Old Long Skis, Morris was a great operator and a friend, Tell him hello.
Fifty year resident, The snow in 1969 was so deep that riding the chairlift up the face of Heavenly Vallely, chair #1, as it was called back then. Once you got near the the top of the face past the mid-way station, your skiis were on the snow! And those lift towers are really tall! Ski patrol put up poles and ropes to block skiers from running into the chairlift! This was at the lowest elevation at Heavenly, imagine the snow depth up top. ALOT of snow up there, for sure!
Lets hope for a good winter… stock up your pantry and have plenty of firewood and a good runnin’ 4-wheel drive or a car with chains. OLS
I love hearing every one of these old stories and seeing all the photos all you guys/gals are generous enough to share. They’re always interesting and I always learn something new.
Think Snow!! El Nino we need you!!
Never wanted a snowmobile before….do now!
82-83 holds the record.
81-82 would have if it did not rain so much.
those big years make it really hard living.
it would be nice for a medium year.
Chief Slowroller, Yes the winter of 82/83 was a bigun’.
We didn’t pick up trash for a week at STR as the roads were impassable and the trucks could not get around due to the amount of snow.
Everybody was pretty much housebound. Most folks just stayed home and shoveled, kept a fire a goin’ and tryin’ to keep up with the constant snow.
Be prepared for this winter, as one never knows what’s coming when it comes to weather in Tahoe. OLS
Great newsreel footage!
Thank you guys for sharing memories! The sad thing is, that if there was ever a BIG storm again, I don’t think that everyone would be as helpful as they were way back when. You knew your neighbors then and watched out for each other, now a days, it’s all for one and all for me. Very sad… Miss the good ol’ days.
Keep sharing guys, love hearing your memories and learning a little more history of “home”
local local, Well, we’ll come together to help each other out in the case of a big snow or a fire.
The community, along with local agencies and others from out of the area really pitched in after the Angora Fire to help those affected.
It may seem as SOME people won’t help, but when hard pressed, they do! No matter what the situation!
Trust me, I miss the good ol’ days to, but this town has some good folks in it that will come thru for you when times are tough and we are facing fire or a major winter storm.
Get on good terms with your neighbors, learn their phone numbers, get to know them, their strengthts and possible weaknesses in helping others, or if the older folks or the disabled need help.
We can help one another should an emergency arise.
We are all better off working togther as a community.
Take care, as always, OLS