Mt. Rose Webcam – Ski Tahoe Views from Summit to Base

The Mt. Rose Webcam looks north from the 2,957-meter (9,700-foot) summit of Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe, the Nevada ski area on the Mount Rose Highway between Reno and the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Ski runs drop through pine forest in the foreground, and a high, bare-shouldered peak of the Carson Range fills the right side of the frame. In summer the runs show as pale dirt tracks between the trees. Once the snow arrives they turn white, which makes this a quick way to check whether the first storms of the season have stuck. The resort runs five cameras around the clock, and all five are on this page.

About Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe

Despite the name, the resort is not on Mount Rose itself. Its lifts climb Slide Mountain, while Mount Rose rises to 3,287 meters (10,785 feet) across State Route 431 to the northwest. That peak is the highest mountain in Washoe County and sits entirely within Nevada. The ski area’s Main Lodge stands at 2,518 meters (8,260 feet), which the resort bills as the highest base elevation at Lake Tahoe, and its 549 meters (1,800 feet) of vertical spread across more than 485 hectares (1,200 acres) and over 70 trails.

Two ski areas became one here. Reno Ski Bowl opened on Slide Mountain in 1953 and was later renamed Slide Mountain Ski Area, and a separate Mount Rose Ski Area opened on the north side in 1964, the year the resort still gives as its founding date. The two merged in 1987. The Chutes, which rank among the steepest terrain in Tahoe, opened in December 2004. The lift fleet now counts two high-speed six-seat chairs, the Northwest Express and the Zephyr Express, plus a high-speed quad, a fixed-grip quad and a triple chair.

Of the other four cameras, the Summit Cam sits beside the top station of the Northwest Express and frames the lift’s last towers against the valley far below, which turns into a wide spread of city lights after dark. The Main Lodge camera looks along the lodge deck toward the lower slopes, the Slide Bowl camera covers mid-mountain, and the Winters Creek Lodge camera watches the Slide Bowl side, where the Zephyr Express starts.

The mountain across the road has its own place in snow science. Dr. James Edward Church of the University of Nevada founded the Mount Rose Weather Observatory there on June 29, 1905, and the Mount Rose snow sampler, the first instrument for measuring the water content of snow, is still in use today.

Weather and Climate in Mt. Rose

Winter is long and cold at this height. The resort averages 8.9 meters (350 inches) of snow a year, and a weather station high on Mount Rose, at 3,137 meters (10,292 feet), shows why it lasts: January averages a high of -0.7 C (30.8 F) and a low of -9.3 C (15.2 F), and April is barely warmer, at 2.5 C (36.5 F) by day and -8.5 C (16.7 F) at night. On the camera, winter means white runs and snow-loaded trees, and on storm days the frame can go gray with cloud and blowing snow.

Summer is short and mild. July at the Mount Rose station averages 18.4 C (65.2 F) in the afternoon and 5.7 C (42.3 F) overnight, and October falls back to 8.6 C (47.5 F) and -2.8 C (26.9 F). In late summer and early fall the summit panorama shows bare runs, dark conifers and gray rock under a mostly clear sky. The cameras keep streaming after dark, and under a bright moon the summit view still picks out the runs and ridgelines in soft gray light.

Things to Do Near Mt. Rose

In winter the draw is the skiing, 40 kilometers (25 miles) up the Mount Rose Highway from downtown Reno. The Chutes pull in expert skiers, the Pondo and Doubledown terrain parks cover freestyle, and lessons, rentals and tuning all run out of the lower level of the Main Lodge.

In summer the same road leads to the high trails of the Carson Range. Mount Rose Summit, the highest point of State Route 431 at 2,716 meters (8,911 feet), is the highest Sierra Nevada pass kept open all year. The Mount Rose Trail leaves from its parking area and climbs 8.4 kilometers (5.2 miles) one way, with about 610 meters (2,000 feet) of gain, past Galena Falls to the summit. Tahoe Meadows has an easy 2-kilometer (1.25-mile) loop with barely 15 meters (50 feet) of climbing, and the Tahoe Rim Trail runs through on its circuit of more than 265 kilometers (165 miles) around the lake. That trail reaches its highest point at Relay Peak, 3,151 meters (10,338 feet) up in the 12,140-hectare (30,000-acre) Mount Rose Wilderness. Incline Village and the north shore of Lake Tahoe are 18 kilometers (11 miles) away on the other side of the pass.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Three more cameras from around Tahoe and Reno:

• Palisades Tahoe Webcam
• South Lake Tahoe Webcam
• Reno Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe located?

In Washoe County, Nevada, on State Route 431, the Mount Rose Highway, between Reno and Incline Village. It is 40 kilometers (25 miles) from downtown Reno, 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Reno-Tahoe International Airport and 18 kilometers (11 miles) from North Lake Tahoe.

What can you see on the Mt. Rose Webcam?

The main camera looks north from the 2,957-meter (9,700-foot) summit over ski runs, forest and the peaks of the Carson Range. The other tabs switch to the Summit Cam at the top of the Northwest Express, the Main Lodge, Slide Bowl and Winters Creek Lodge.

What is the weather like on Mt. Rose?

Cold and snowy in winter, mild in summer. A station at 3,137 meters (10,292 feet) on Mount Rose averages highs of -0.7 C (30.8 F) in January and 18.4 C (65.2 F) in July. The weather bar on this page shows current conditions at the resort.

How much snow does Mt. Rose get?

The resort averages 8.9 meters (350 inches) of snow a year. Its base, at 2,518 meters (8,260 feet), is the highest at Lake Tahoe according to the resort.

Is Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe on Mount Rose?

No. The ski area is on Slide Mountain. Mount Rose, 3,287 meters (10,785 feet) high, stands to the northwest across State Route 431.

How high is Mount Rose Summit?

Mount Rose Summit, the pass on State Route 431, is 2,716 meters (8,911 feet) high and is the highest Sierra Nevada pass open all year. The peak of Mount Rose reaches 3,287 meters (10,785 feet), and the ski area’s own summit, where the main camera sits, is at 2,957 meters (9,700 feet).

Does the Mt. Rose Webcam show road conditions on the highway?

Not directly. The five cameras point at the slopes, the lodges and the summit view, not the highway. Fresh snow on the runs hints that the pass may be snowy too, so check Nevada Department of Transportation road reports before driving up in a storm.

Source: Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe