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Historic Snow Levels Mean Mammoth Mountain Will Stay Open Until August (And Maybe Even Longer)
After struggling with an historic drought for years, California was treated to one of the wettest seasons in decades this past winter. As reported at the Mercury News, one result was that the Sierra Nevada snowpack got a large helping of the white stuff—at the final monthly snowpack reading of this winter, snow levels were 190 percent of the historic average. It amounted to more snow than was accumulated in the last four years combined, according to NASA data, as reported by the L.A. Times.
For skiers, snowboarders, and general snow enthusiasts, what this also means is that some ski resorts in California and Nevada will remain open longer than usual. As Mammoth announced on its website, the resort will be open daily until August, and may extend its operations even further, as planners have not yet set a closing date. "We can honestly say this season at Mammoth has been the best in the country, producing the best spring conditions in decades," say organizers. The conditions have set the stage for what will be one of Mammoth's longest seasons ever.
According to the L.A. Times, this is only the second time in Mammoth's history that it will remain open till August (the first time was during the summer of '95).
A Mammoth spokesperson said in a statement that there's still about 105 inches of snow at the Main Lodge, and about 270 inches up at the Summit. According to KTLA, the resort got a total of 616 inches of snow during the 2016-'17 season, and even added another inch of snow in the middle of May.
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Not ALL of Mammoth will remain open, however. Areas in the lower elevations have started closing down: both Canyon Lodge and Eagle Lodge have been shuttered for the season. But lift access is still available at Main Lodge and the Mill base sections—lifts will be operated daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you're looking to venture out farther to explore other resorts, the Times says that Squaw Valley (west of Lake Tahoe) could remain open into the next winter.
And if you need some second-hand evidence of the massive snowfall during the winter, check out the gallery above.
For information about hours and ticketing, check out the Mammoth website.
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