California Ski Season Gets Late Twist as Mammoth Extends Season After Heavy Snowfall

A powerful spring storm has dumped up to 3.5 feet (just over a metre) of new snow across California’s Sierra Nevada, delivering a late‑season boost after one of the state’s leanest snowfall winters in decades. The new snow has prompted Mammoth Mountain to extend its season, announcing it will stay open through the U.S. Memorial Day holiday at the end of May.

That’s in contrast to most Californian ski areas that have already closed, many of them earlier than scheduled. The turnaround comes just weeks after record‑warm March temperatures stripped much of the state’s already meagre snowpack. On April 1, the statewide snowpack measured just 23% of normal, the second‑lowest reading since 1950, according to the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab.

Mammoth, one of California’s highest and most snow‑sure resorts, reported 20 inches (50cm) of fresh snow at Main Lodge over 48 hours, with 16 lifts spinning on Tuesday. The resort warned that despite the inviting fresh cover, early‑season hazards such as rocks and brush remain exposed beneath the new snow.

A further dusting is possible over the next few days as a cold front crosses the Sierra, though US National Weather Service meteorologists expect temperatures to rebound quickly, limiting how long the new snow will last, especially at lower elevations.

The late storm offered little relief for the rest of California’s ski industry, where the season has already effectively ended. Only two other Californian ski areas remain open, Palisades Tahoe and Kirkwood, both operating on reduced terrain. Most others, including Heavenly and Northstar are closed. several weeks earlier than planned, after the warm March heatwave accelerated snowmelt.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power hydrographers report Eastern Sierra snowpack at 24% of normal and nearly half of California was classified as abnormally dry, with drought conditions creeping back into the state.