TAHOE/TRUCKEE — It seems as each day passes without any natural snow and winter's regional plight forges into 2012, the amount of rumors forecasting ski resorts shutting down are rising nearly as fast as the mercury in area thermometers.

Rumor turned to reality Thursday for Homewood Mountain Resort, as the West Shore ski area on its website announced it will be closed Mondays through Thursdays “until snow conditions permit full operations or further notice.”

The resort will remain open Fridays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with beginner terrain, $25 adult lift tickets, and ski and snowboard lessons.

Despite Thursday's announcement from Homewood, regional officials spent time earlier in the day dispelling speculation about the near future of the Truckee/Tahoe ski industry.

During a candid phone interview, Andy Wirth, CEO of Squaw and Alpine, referred to rumors of his resorts and Heavenly being forced to close down — as well as those of Northstar California running out of water — as “patently false.”

“If anyone hears rumors like that, they should question the intellect, the judgment and the motivations of the people who are forwarding those rumors along,” Wirth said. “I think it's sad and unfortunate, because it lacks any rational thought that people would forward these types of rumors.”

The rumors grew legs this week with the help of increasing online blog and social media posts on the issue, as well as news Monday that Mt. Ashland Ski Area in Oregon was closing indefinitely due to mild weather and a lack of snow.

It's no question Mother Nature has not been cooperating like previous winters, Wirth said, but it's no reason to spread rumors that only serve to hurt the region.

“It's a tough time right now for Tahoe and the businesses here ... it's been a challenging winter for everyone, from the Rockies to Tahoe down to Mammoth,” Wirth said. “We're not the type of company that's going to read into those rumors, even those referring to our competition. When rumors like that get out that are derisive about our company, they're also derisive about our industry, and that is unfortunate.”

Other officials shared similar views on Thursday.

“It's actually the opposite,” said Heavenly's Russ Pecoraro regarding rumors the South Shore resort is closing. “We're focused on making more terrain available.”

Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort has no plans of closing any time soon either, said spokesman Steven Hemphill.

“I can confidently tell you that we will not be closing,” Hemphill said.

With the dip in temperatures, Sierra will continue snowmaking as well.

“Obviously we wish it was the natural stuff, but we're doing everything we can to continue to stay open,” Hemphill said.

Lack of snow

The rumors also come on the heels of the first California Department of Water Resources snow survey of the year in the Truckee/Tahoe region, which took place Tuesday in Phillips, Calif., just southwest of Meyers.

It marked the first time Frank Gehrke, chief of the California Cooperative Snow Survey, walked through the grass, rather than snow, in January to check the snowpack since he started the job in the late 1980s.

“I think this pretty much tells the story of how bare and dry things are,” he said.

Gehrke did find a small patch of snow within the designated survey area. It contained the equivalent of 1/7 of an inch of water, the lowest January measurement for the Phillips site on record. The former record for the site was .9 inches in 1987.

For this water season, as of Tuesday, the Northern Sierra stands at about 21 percent of normal and just 8 percent of the April 1 seasonal average when snowpack is expected to be at its peak before melting. Statewide, California has 19 percent of the Jan. 3 average water content and 7 percent of the average April 1 measurement.

Though California relies on a hefty winter snowpack for a third of its water, it's not quite time to start worrying yet, said Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin.

“Fortunately, we have most of the winter ahead of us, and our reservoir storage is good,” Cowin said in a statement.

Lake Oroville, Lake Shasta, the Central Valley Project and San Luis Reservoir, all important water storage sites for California, are all above average for this time of year.

The DWR is estimating it will be able to deliver 60 percent of the 4 million acre-feet of water requested by Californians for farming, industry and everyday use, according to Tuesday's statement. The estimate will change as the water year develops. In 2011, the DWR was able to deliver 80 percent of the request.

This year's scant snowpack is a great example of how variable California winters can be, Gehrke said. December, January and February are usually the most productive months for California in terms of snow, but sometimes — like earlier this year — March can pack a big punch, he said. But as every day passes without snow, the chance of the state being able to catch up to average snow levels becomes less and less likely.

Holiday success

While current conditions in Tahoe are nowhere near optimal due to the lack of snow, some regional ski resorts reported a good finish to 2011, based on large crowds in the area for the Christmas and New Year's weekends.

Due to dedicated grooming and snowmaking, Homewood was able to offer a “fun, affordable beginner and family experience throughout the holiday week and into the New Year,” said spokeswoman Rachael Woods on Tuesday.

On Donner Summit, officials at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort were “pleasantly surprised” by a strong holiday skier turnout, said Marketing Manager John Monson.

“Given the lack of natural snowfall thus far ... the concern was that people would be reaching for their golf clubs or bikes instead of their skis or boards,” Monson said. “But skiers are a resilient lot, and coupled with the allure of mountains and snow over the holidays, we saw plenty of skiers and riders out there having a great time.”