Early snow levels generally hover around 6,000-7,500 feet, meaning lower bases near Tahoe can mix with rain at times early in the event, while mid and upper mountain stays mostly snow. Snow quality in this opening phase will be on the dense side, with SLRs commonly in the 4-9:1 range at Tahoe and the Central Sierra, and closer to 9-11:1 at Mammoth, so expect heavier, more supportive storm snow rather than blower.