CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SIERRA NEVADA : Alert for Skiers: Snow! Snow! Snow!

Some Northern California ski resorts are planning Nov. 4 openings as a result of a storm that whipped through the Sierra Nevada, leaving more than 2 feet of snow at higher elevations. There were 6.5 inches of snow on the ground at Truckee near Lake Tahoe and 1.5 feet on nearby peaks, a California Highway Patrol dispatcher said. The National Weather Service reported that 1.24 inches of rain had fallen at Blue Canyon 30 miles west of Lake Tahoe. At higher elevations, a foot of new snow fell, an unusually heavy amount for so early in the season. Spokesmen for Boreal Ski Area between Blue Canyon and Lake Tahoe and for Squaw Valley said the resorts plan to open Nov. 4. Other resort operators said they will retain their traditional openings on Thanksgiving weekend.