Weather
Winter weather in Donner Pass can be brutal. Precipitation averages 54 inches (140 cm) per month, most of which falls as snow. At 415 inches (10.5 m) per year, Donner Pass is one of the snowiest places in the United States. To take advantage of the heavy snows, the Boreal Ski Resort was built to the north. Ski resorts in the Lake Tahoe area report an average of 300 to 500 inches (7.6 to 13 m) of snowfall per season. Winds in the pass can also become extreme and wind gusts in excess of 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) are common during winter storms. Winter temperatures in the area drop below zero several times each year; the all-time record low for California of −45 °F (−43 °C) was recorded at the Boca Reservoir (east of Truckee) in January 1937.
In the winter of 2010-11 over 700 inches (1,800 cm) had fallen as of May 23, 2011. Snow depth peaked in early April 2011 with over 250 inches (21 ft) of snow on the ground.
The winter of 1846-47 was especially severe, and this is generally cited as the single most important factor in the disaster of the Donner Party.
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