First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 1 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Creekside Lodge at Dodge Ridge, Nov. 3, 2014.  Image 1 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Creekside Lodge at Dodge Ridge, Nov. 3, 2014.  Creekside Lodge at Dodge Ridge, Nov. 3, 2014.  Image 2 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Serious snowmaking going on at Northstar, in No. Lake Tahoe region, after snowstorm and cold temperatures on Nov. 1, 2014. (Courtesy: Vail Resorts)  Image 2 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Serious snowmaking going on at Northstar, in No. Lake Tahoe region, after snowstorm and cold temperatures on Nov. 1, 2014. (Courtesy: Vail Resorts)  Serious snowmaking going on at Northstar, in No. Lake Tahoe region,...after snowstorm and cold temperatures on Nov. 1, 2014. (Courtesy: Vail...Resorts)  Image 3 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Just a touch of snow near the summit at Heavenly, Sept. 26, 2014. (Courtesy: Heavenly)  Image 3 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Just a touch of snow near the summit at Heavenly, Sept. 26, 2014. (Courtesy: Heavenly)  Just a touch of snow near the summit at Heavenly, Sept. 26, 2014....(Courtesy: Heavenly)  Image 4 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Near the gates to Killebrew Canyon, Heavenly, Spet. 26, 2014. (Courtesy: Heavenly)  Image 4 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Near the gates to Killebrew Canyon, Heavenly, Spet. 26, 2014. (Courtesy: Heavenly)  Near the gates to Killebrew Canyon, Heavenly, Spet. 26, 2014....(Courtesy: Heavenly)  Image 5 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  There's the Dipper lift at Heavenly, Sept. 26, 2014. (Courtesy: Heavenly)  Image 5 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  There's the Dipper lift at Heavenly, Sept. 26, 2014. (Courtesy: Heavenly)  There's the Dipper lift at Heavenly, Sept. 26, 2014. (Courtesy:...Heavenly)  Image 6 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Dodge Ridge base on Nov. 1, 2014.  Image 6 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Dodge Ridge base on Nov. 1, 2014.  Dodge Ridge base on Nov. 1, 2014.  Image 7 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Here's the snow meter at Dodge Ridge, near Lake Tahoe.  Image 7 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Here's the snow meter at Dodge Ridge, near Lake Tahoe.  Here's the snow meter at Dodge Ridge, near Lake Tahoe.  Image 8 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  As usual, Mammoth Mountain got the most snow. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 8 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  As usual, Mammoth Mountain got the most snow. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  As usual, Mammoth Mountain got the most snow. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 9 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Here's the storm at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 9 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Here's the storm at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Here's the storm at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 10 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Cold weather has allowed for snowmaking, too. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 10 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Cold weather has allowed for snowmaking, too. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Cold weather has allowed for snowmaking, too. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 11 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  More snowmaking at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 11 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  More snowmaking at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  More snowmaking at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 12 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  The Mammoth looking wooly with snow. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 12 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  The Mammoth looking wooly with snow. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  The Mammoth looking wooly with snow. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 13 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Mammoth staff prepares for winter. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 13 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Mammoth staff prepares for winter. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Mammoth staff prepares for winter. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 14 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  The lodge at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 14 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  The lodge at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  The lodge at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 15 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Mammoth on Nov. 3, 2014. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 15 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Mammoth on Nov. 3, 2014. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Mammoth on Nov. 3, 2014. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 16 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Snowy signage at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 16 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Snowy signage at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Snowy signage at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 17 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  More snowmaking at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 17 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  More snowmaking at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  More snowmaking at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 18 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Near whiteout at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 18 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Near whiteout at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Near whiteout at Mammoth. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 19 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Total whiteout at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 19 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Total whiteout at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Total whiteout at Mammoth Mountain. (Peter Morning/MMSA)  Image 20 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Blowing snow at Heavenly in So. Tahoe.  Image 20 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Blowing snow at Heavenly in So. Tahoe.  Blowing snow at Heavenly in So. Tahoe.  Image 21 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  White snow, blue sky at Heavenly.  Image 21 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  White snow, blue sky at Heavenly.  White snow, blue sky at Heavenly.  Image 22 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Snowmaking in the foreground, Lake Tahoe in the background, Heavenly.  Image 22 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Snowmaking in the foreground, Lake Tahoe in the background, Heavenly.  Snowmaking in the foreground, Lake Tahoe in the background, Heavenly.  Image 23 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Here's how things look at Northstar.  Image 23 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Here's how things look at Northstar.  Here's how things look at Northstar.  Image 24 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 24 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 25 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Kirkwood base, Nov. 1, 2014.  Image 25 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Kirkwood base, Nov. 1, 2014.  Kirkwood base, Nov. 1, 2014.  Image 26 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 26 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 27 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 27 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 28 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 28 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 29 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 29 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 30 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  A snowy landscape at Kirkwood.  Image 30 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014  A snowy landscape at Kirkwood.  A snowy landscape at Kirkwood.  Image 31 of 31 |First Sierra snow -- 2014  Image 31 of 31 - First Sierra snow -- 2014
Hello Slope Dope readers!
 
 Al Saracevic here, founder and contributor at Slope Dope, the snow blog of The San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com.
 
 We're excited about the upcoming season in the Sierra, hoping for a bit more snow this winter and lots of good time on the slopes. If early