Once cold and lonely, ‘snow management’ at Tahoe resorts goes high-tech with lasers

PALISADES TAHOE SKI RESORT — At midnight, a slender moon hangs above the snowy Sierra Nevada, casting only a faint glow on a sheer cliff and the dark canyon below.

But snowcat operator “Bandit” Ferrante has laser-guided vision, measuring snow depth 150 feet ahead and to each side to sculpt the slopes with precision. By dawn, crowds will start arriving to ski and ride the weekend’s fresh powder.

“These advancements are changing the way we do things,” said Ferrante, 37, who drives...