- Matt Lorelli
- •
- powder.com
- •
- January 6, 2026
In case you've been living under a rock, the talk of the last two weeks has been the Lake Tahoe region's miraculous winter comeback.
The first storm, which began with heavy rain on December 22, 2025, eventually deposited over 80 inches (more than 6.5 feet) across nearly all elevations of Palisades Tahoe over the course of seven days.
The second storm just dumped another 44 inches (nearly four feet) since last Friday, January 2, 2025. With combined storm totals eclipsing 100 inches, Palisades Tahoe skiers are reveling in not only the first powder days of the season, but also some of the best conditions "ever", according to local pro and former Freeride World Tour skier Ryan Faye.
Faye wasn't alone in his assessment of current conditions. Carson McCarron, another Tahoe local pro, took to Instagram and described yesterday, January 5, 2026, as "all time".
McCarron posted a series of POV clips to Instagram to prove it. Tap or click the arrows in the embedded post below to see all of his impressive lines from yesterday, January 5, 2026.
The second clip, which was filmed in the CII ridge area off Palisades' Headwall lift, is my favorite. See for yourself. Keep reading for more.
If you're keeping score at home, McCarron scored one of the best powder days possible at Palisades Tahoe. Based on the clips included in the post above, he scored first tracks on The Fingers, multiple lines on CII Ridge, Poulsen's Gully under Red Dog, and more.
We're not sure how McCarron managed to stack all of these lines, considering the crowds and the delayed lift openings due to avalanche danger, but we're sure glad that he did.
Noah Gaffney, the son of the late Rob Gaffney and nephew of Scott, scored one of the day's most celebrated lines on The Fingers.
For those out of the loop, the "race" to The Fingers off the KT-22 lift is one of Palisades Tahoe's most beloved traditions. Whoever wins the race usually scores the best snow and receives a ton of fanfare from chairlift riders watching from above.
Gaffney won the race and nabbed an incredible POV clip to prove it.
Tap or click below to watch.
Much of Palisades Tahoe's upper mountain terrain remained closed yesterday due to avalanche danger and high winds.
If Mountain Ops can safely open upper mountain terrain today, January 6, 2026, don't be surprised if you see another flurry of FOMO-inducing powder clips from skiers like Noah Gaffney and Carson McCarron. I know I'll be watching.
Happy winter, friends. It took a while to get here, but fashionably late is better than a no-show, right?
