Storm Hits Mammoth Mountain, Brings Over 9 New Inches Of Snow
Mammoth Mountain, CA, with the highest resort summit in California, is seeing 9-11 inches of new snow, with 19 inches over the last two days.
Last night, Mammoth officials posted a video of the flurries coming down, saying, "It has begun... Dump Alert 10-12” of new snow overnight, with heavy snowfall to continue throughout the day today."
"It’s going to be a classic Mammoth storm day with HEAVY snowfall, low visibility, high winds and deep snow - ski and ride with your buddy at all times."
"High winds will affect lift operations on a majority of the lifts on the mid and upper-mountain. Heavy snowfall and hazardous driving conditions are expected on the roads. Please be aware of whiteout conditions at times."
"Carry chains and be prepared to use them."
Because of the intense weather right now, at this time on Tuesday morning, 14/24 lifts are open, 74/176 trails are open, and 49 of those trails are groomed. (This is due to a delayed opening: these lifts will likely open later in the day as avalanche mitigation work is able to be performed by Ski Patrol.)
On the bright side, there is a base depth of 95 inches and a season total of 221 inches at Main Lodge.
The conditions report also contained the morning message of a dump alert. (We just can't say it enough. It snowed a lot.)
"We received 9-11" of new snow in the last 24 hours, bringing our storm total to 19-23". Intermittent snowfall is expected throughout the day today in addition to moderate winds that may affect upper mountain lift operations."
"We highly recommend using public transportation to get to and from the mountain today. It is extremely cold out there today with wind chill bringing temps down to -7º F so layer up before heading out. Powder days are best spent with pals, so grab your buddy and explore the fun stashes together."
Besides being fun, this is a safety precaution. Fresh snow equals higher avalanche danger equals go with a friend for help if you need it. If you get into a situation alone and have no phone, tranceiver, etc, things can get hairy quick. And even if you do have the gear, it is still way better to have human help on hand.
"Be mindful of all avy closures throughout the ski area. Ducking a rope closure means losing your season pass for 30 days. Doing it a second time results in losing that pass for the rest of the season. Single or multi-day ticket holders will lose all remaining days."
This reminder comes shortly after the initial announcement of these increased penalties for skiers who disobey the ski code on the resort. It is dangerous and increases everyone's risk.
Related: Mammoth Mountain Drops Hammer, Increases Penalties For Skiers Caught Ducking Ropes
"Thank you in advance for your cooperation – have fun and stay safe. Happy POWbruary!"
POWbruary? I like FebuBURIED. But who cares... we're skiing fresh pow (and staying inside those boundaries)!
Related: Skiers Share Rare Encounter With Elusive Mammal
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