The locals say that there are two types of weather in Tahoe: sunny or snowing; if it isn't one, then it's the other and both are great conditions for a winter trip to the mountains. A typical Tahoe winter vacation usually contains a generous amount of both sun and snow and a more than generous amount of big-mountain adventure.

Lake Tahoe is a dream destination for more than 2 million visitors each year due to its plethora of outdoor activities in both summer and winter. With its world-class mountains, 300 days of sun, and over 30 feet of snow each season, a Tahoe snowboard vacation ranks high on the list for top snowboard getaways.

Lake Tahoe is 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, and its shores are shared by both California and Nevada. For simplicity's sake, Tahoe is divided into two areas, North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe. While both areas are home to world-class snowboarding, spectacular views, and an all-out après scene, there are some major differences that may make one side of the lake more your speed.

North Lake Tahoe has a more family-oriented and small mountain town feel than its southern sister, a true wild child. While both North and South Lake Tahoe are divided by the California/Nevada border, the California side tends to be a bit mellower than the Nevada side for the simple fact that Nevada laws embrace gambling. It's a telling sign that you have crossed the state line in either North or South Lake and see the lights of Vegas, transplanted to the snowy mountains of Tahoe. South Lake is home to more casinos than the slow-paced North Lake, and therefore tends to have a more rockin' nightlife. South Lake is slowly catching up to more modern times and the village at Heavenly has turned into a high-class hot spot in recent years, but the Co-zee Motels and Denny's still abound in the more developed South Lake.

Kirkwood Resort

Kirkwood, CA

Being 30 miles south of Lake Tahoe has its advantages: Kirkwood is rarely crowded, has a laid-back attitude, and gets some of the best snow in the area. Kirkwood's location in the Sierras ensures that it gets great snow and that the snow lasts longer through the season, leaving Kirkwood with some of the best spring skiing there is. Kirkwood's steep, narrow trails are great for the intermediate and advanced snowboarder, while the beginner trails are separated from the rest of mountain, a good idea on a big mountain. Kirkwood's challenges its riders with "the steep and deep" rather than big parks with rails and tabletops so it's a great place to practice your backcountry skills without having to hike. After the alpine glow hits the slopes, it's a good idea to get going - there is little to no après scene this far from the lake, but a day in which you can get 30 runs in doesn't really need an après does it?

Website: http://www.kirkwood.com/

Snow Report: www.kirkwood.com/winter/conditions.php

Tickets: Adult: $69 daily/$72 holiday

Junior (13-18): $56 daily/$59 holiday

Child (6-12): $14 daily/$17 holiday

Children (5 and under): $8 daily/$10 holiday

Senior: $38 daily/$41 holiday

Heavenly Lake Tahoe

Stateline, NV

Heavenly has a big name due to the fact that it's a big mountain. With 27 lifts, 82 runs, 2 snowboard parks, and 5 halfpipes, the math speaks for itself. Heavenly changes with the times and has recently invested over $15 million dollars into its luxury base village, new high-speed chairlifts and gondolas, and on-mountain technology such as real time weather signs. Along with all these impressive numbers comes more high numbers: the price of its lift ticket and the amount of people on the slopes. The only clear thing about Heavenly's new daily lift ticket pricing is that they are the highest on the lake. The high cost does seem reasonable for a mountain that caters to all levels of snowboarders and has some of the most spectacular lake views in the area. However, the mountain's location is its greatest feature. The California/Nevada border runs right through the mountain, which is right in the middle of South Lake Tahoe. It's an easy walk from the casinos on the Nevada side to the gondola that will take you to the mountain. For a day trip to snowboard the same slopes that Sonny Bono had his last run on, Heavenly is a sure bet.

Website: http://www.squaw.com/

Snow Report: www.skiheavenly.com/mountain/conditions/

Tickets: Heavenly's ticket prices change throughout the season according to dates and lift operation. The ticket prices below reflect the average price of a daily lift ticket. Check their website for more details.

Adult: $74

Junior (13-18): $60

Child (5-12): $34

Under 5: Free

Senior: $60

Sierra-at-Tahoe

Bridges, CA

Sierra-at-Tahoe benefits and hurts from its unique location off Highway 50. While it still has pristine views of the lake, its north-facing positioning in the Sierras makes it the recipient of incredible powder after Tahoe's frequent winter storms. By the same token, because of its accessibility off highway 50, Sierra can become overcrowded and overwhelming on the weekends. After these frequent storms, chain control is common and 4-wheel drive vehicle is necessary to get you to the hill. Sierra has a great vibe for families and takes meticulous care to groom their beginner and intermediate runs, which runs from summit to base, making the hill a breeze for beginners.

Website: http://www.sierraattahoe.com/

Snow Report: www.sierraattahoe.com/winter/snow-report.asp

Tickets: Adult: $65 daily/$68 holiday

Young Adult (13-22): $55 daily/$58 holiday

Child (5-12): $16 daily/$19 holiday

Children (4 and under): Free

Senior: $40 daily/$47 holiday

Northstar-at-Tahoe

Truckee, CA

With its snowboard park rated 6^th and its halfpipe rated 5^th in the country by TransWorld Snowboarding's readers' poll, it's no wonder pros like Andy Finch, Chas Guldemond, and Silas Stannard call Northstar home. Northstar-at-Tahoe's jaw-dropping snowboard park is also home to the world-renowned Vans Cup at Tahoe, one of the season's most important snowboarding events. After putting so much of the mountain's budget into the park, Northstar has recently turned to its off-mountain activities. Now that the first phase of the multi-million revamp of the base village is complete, Northstar is attracting a new audience to its luxury condominiums, boutique shopping, and high-class dining. The proximity to the highway, well known name, massive terrain park, and big money attitude makes Northstar-at-Tahoe one of Tahoe's most popular ski resorts. Though the mountain is well-designed and a favorite with families, its popularity can create confusion in the long lift lines and may easily overwhelm beginners on the over-populated slopes. But be sure to take full advantage of the opportunity to watch snowboarders pull backside 540s and massive rail slides, just make sure to stay out of their landing zones.

Website: http://www.northstarattahoe.com/

Snow Report: http://www.northstarattahoe.com/

Tickets: Adult: $74 non-holiday/$76 holiday

Young Adult (13-22): $64 non-holiday/$66 holiday

Child (5-12): $28 non-holiday/$29 holiday

Under 4: free

Senior: $64 non-holiday/$66 holiday

Squaw Valley USA

Olympic Valley, CA

Squaw Valley was a start up mountain in 1960 when it hosted the Olympics, but a high-altitude start up mountain with some of Tahoe's most advanced terrain. Today Squaw spans 4,000 acres and has 28 lifts, making it the largest mountain in North Lake Tahoe, and it still boasts Tahoe's most challenging terrain. Squaw can be intimidating for beginners, especially at first glance. The mountain is actually more of a plateau, with the double black diamonds visible from the parking lot, and the beginner trails at the summit. With such a massive mountain, there is plenty of room to spread out and explore, though beware of the only beginner trail that goes from the summit to the base of mountain, at 4:00 it resembles an LA traffic jam. Squaw is legendary and can be a bit of a scene, especially on days of fresh powder when the lift lines are like a mosh pit, but crowds are a minor trade off for world-class snowboarding.

Website: http://www.squaw.com/

Snow Report: www.squaw.com/winter/snoreport.html

Tickets: Adult: $73

Youth (13-18): $55

Child (under 12): $10

Senior: $45

Alpine Meadows

Tahoe City, CA

Alpine has a 45-year-old tradition of being a family-friendly mountain with trails for all abilities, but was one of the last ski areas in Tahoe to allow snowboarding. In the ten years since Alpine opened their mountain to snowboarding, they have been quick to catch up with the needs of boarders. Once notorious for its flat spots, which required heavy use of ski poles, Alpine has re-graded many of their trails, making it easier to get around the mountain on a snowboard without getting stuck in the flats. Alpine Meadows has also improved and enlarged their snowboard park in recent years, adding an area with mid-size jumps, short boxes and rails, perfect for beginners. Alpine is a favorite with the locals for its reasonable price, laid-back atmosphere, and smaller crowds than neighboring mountains.

Website: http://www.skialpine.com/

Snow Report: www.skialpine.com/winter/conditions/snowreport

Tickets: Adult: $58 daily/$63 holiday

Teen (13-18): $49 daily/$49 holiday

Youth (5-12): $10 daily/$10 holiday

Under 4: free

Senior: $39 daily/$39 daily

Boreal Mountain Resort

Truckee, CA

Boreal has done a literal 360° in the last few years, revamping its image as a bump on the side of the highway to a full-fledged mountain park with terrain features on nearly every trail. One of the few places in North Lake Tahoe that has night riding, an all-day lift ticket lets you keep riding under the lights until 9pm or you if you get a late start, you can ride until bedtime with a night ticket. Boreal has become the day trip destination for college students where your student id buys a lift ticket for only $15 on Fridays. A great place for beginners and snowboarders looking to make that transition into the park, Boreal won't overwhelm first-timers, but will challenge riders looking to tackle the terrain park.

Website: http://www.rideboreal.com/

Snow Report: www.rideboreal.com/winter/index.html

Tickets:

Daily (9am-9pm)

Adult: $44

Teen (13-18): $39

Child (5-12): $12

Under 4: free

Senior: $25

Night (3:30pm-9pm)

Adult: $25

Teen (13-18): $30

Child (5-12): $12

Under 4: free

Senior: $25

Sugar Bowl Ski Resort

Norden, CA

What Sugar Bowl lacks in pristine lake views due to its distance from the Tahoe basin, it makes up for with a hidden gem quality. A mid-size mountain with less than mid-size crowds, it's a great spot for families and beginners. Though its snowboard parks are less than stellar, they are great for those just learning jumps and rails, partly due to the fact that without an audience, you can huck yourself without reservation. A short distance from Truckee, the mountain's mid-level terrain can be explored without repeating routes in an easy day trip. Keep on the lookout for the less traveled routes - Sugar Bowl has incredible hidden glades and cliffs that will satisfy your hunger for backcountry excursions.

Website: www.sugarbowl.com

Snow Report: www.sugarbowl.com/4305

Tickets: Adult: $60 daily/$70 holiday

Young Adult (13-22) $50 daily/$60 holiday

Child (6-12): $15/$15 holiday

Child (5 and under): Free

Senior: $50 daily/$60 holiday

HomewoodMountain Resort

Homewood, CA

Over the years, Homewood has retained its image as a smaller, family friendly mountain with some of the most picturesque views possible. With reasonable ticket prices, small crowds, and none of the fanfare of the larger mountains, Homewood remains a great place for beginners to learn and for experts to enjoy a peaceful day of lakeside riding. It's easy to overlook this smaller and quieter mountain, but the experience of skiing so close to crystal-clear waters will take your breath away. Be aware of the slow pace of the mountain, Homewood's owners have only recently begun replacing its antiquated lifts with detachable quads, ensuring that you get more runs for your money.

Website: http://www.skihomewood.com/

Snow Report: http://www.skihomewood.com/skihomewood/skiing/dor

Tickets: Adult: $39 non-holiday/$53 Fri-Sun/$58 holiday

Teen (13-18): $35

Youth (5-12): $10

Under 4: free

Senior: $25

Mount Rose

Reno, NV

Mount Rose is often passed by on the way to the more well-known mountains in Tahoe, leaving wide open beginner trails and great intermediate chutes on the lake all to yourself. Mount Rose is a small mountain and doesn't offer much in the way of variety on the slopes, making it a good choice for a family day trip, but not worthy of a multi-day ticket. The mountain's cheap lift tickets are great for beginners, who can navigate a large portion of the trails. Check their website for great midweek lift ticket deals like $29 student Wednesdays and Ladies' Day Thursdays for only $19.

Website: http://www.mtrose.com/

Snow Report: http://www.mtrose.com/snow/snow_report.php

Tickets: Adult: $62

Teen (13-17): $42

Child (6-12): $17

Under 5: free

Senior: $42