Snow Falls on Mammoth Mountain May 22

Skiers and snowboarders woke up to several inches of fresh snow on the ground the morning of Thursday, May 22. With the official announcement that Mammoth will close on Monday, May 26, that leaves four more days of shredding.

Most of us thought it would be four days of 70-degree days in the park, but behold, snow falling softly from a windless sky…and in the forecast for the next few days, too. Not huge amounts – just enough to make some lucious powdery turns, and just enough to cover up those bare spots, so be careful for what’s underneath that powder. Have fun remembering what winter feels like. Peace.

The Greatest Show on Earth

I know that the big news in California today is the Oscars (which aired last night) but the main event here in the Sierra is the scene-stealing powder day at Mammoth Mountain. We woke up to blue skies and knee-deep snow – definitely a contender for the best of the year. This show of snow is an instant classic, owing its epicness to the uncrowded weekday, warm temps, wind-less sky, and Ski Patrol who made it safe. Photos: Taking the stage over by Roger’s Ridge, 8:50am, Feb. 25, 2008.

A Week of Snow Showers for Mammoth Mountain

It’s the time of year when snowy weather is more common than dry skies. Howard Scheckter reports on his web site that there are no long breaks in snowfall as we head into February:

MammothWeather.com informs Mammoth-goers to “expect scattered showers the next few days with no significant accumulations today and only an inch or two possible later Tuesday. Light snow likely Wednesday becoming possibly heavy by night.” The site reported on Monday morning that this light storm is developing off the Northern California coast, heading southwest over the next 36 hours, and added that Tuesday morning looks like the best time to be outside. The storm is thought to clear up by Thursday night, at which time it is likely we’ll have 1 or 2 feet of fresh on the ground. A second system follows in the early part of Saturday. If you are making the trip up Highway 395 on Friday night, stay tuned to weather and Cal Trans (call 800.427.7623 for updates).

Ex-cel-len-tay

Do I really have to spell it out for you? Mammoth had an eight-foot storm followed immediately by a one-footer, followed immediately by blue sky. Here’s a pic, since not only is a picture worth more than words, it’s impossible to spell wrong.

Photo: 10am., Jan. 9, 2008

Storm Pics

Looking down…

Looking up…

It doesn’t matter how you look at it. We got a lotta snow.

Six Inches of Snow at 7am; Nine Inches at 9am; 13 by Noon; Still Coming Down Strong

Friday, 11:50am: I went snowboarding early today, before the wind really picked up. ‘Twas the kind of stormy morning when you didn’t know if your face is dripping wet from snot or snow (probably both). The powder felt deeper than six inches, which what was reported as of 7am. By 11am we are reporting double that, with the most hyped storm of the season threatening us with many feet more in the days ahead. Maybe threatening isn’t the right word. We are beyond excited for all this snow! Just imagine what the mountain will look like when it all clears…

Welcome to 2008 in Mammoth. Here’s Some Snow…

According to the National Weather Service’s Special Weather Statement, and I quote: “A series of storms to push into the Sierra beginning Thursday and continuing through Sunday with the strongest storm Friday and Friday night…totals above 7,000 feet along the Sierra Crest could be above 5 feet with as much as 8 feet of snow possible.”

If you are planning to travel at the end of the week, particularly Friday, be sure to read weather warnings carefully. Please stay tuned to the National Weather Service and MammothWeather.com.

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful

…but the snow is so delightful.

It is windy out there today but if you can cinch up your hood and brave the chairlift ride you’ll feast on windbuff snow at its finest.

What I learned today: Why you should wax your skis

Powder day but I forgot my snowboard at home, so I decided to take out my roommate’s old park skis. These things have won contests before, but that was a past life for them. They don’t do as nearly fancy things under my control, especially because they needed a wax so badly that they froze to the snow. But I waited until I was out there under the falling snow to find out that they are the driest skies that Evan from Big Bear has ever seen. Thankfully he rode the lift with me and scraped ice off one base while I scraped the other. Evan just moved to Mammoth for the season so if you see him around say thank you for me. I made my way down the snowy run next to Chair Six thinking it would have been such a fun day – knee deep with decent visibility and calm afternoon wind – if I had thought ahead for one second about ski wax.

When You Must Turn Headlights On (and more winter driving tips)

The next winter storm is expected to hit Mammoth in the middle of next week. If you’re heading here for the holidays (and if you’re anything like me, who didn’t know what the defroster was when I moved to Mammoth from L.A.) bring these tips for winter driving along with you:

Simple checklist:

• Snowtires/ chains
• M&S tire tread at least 6/10ths of an inch
• Wiper blades
• Snow scraper/ shovel/gloves in car
• Warm up/ defrost
• Seatbelt
• Turn headlights on
• Park in first gear
• Plenty of time to get wherever you’re going

Perform a safety check of your vehicle checking snowtires, chains and wiper blades. Plan your morning for weather, parking and traffic. There is no passing allowed on Minaret Road from the Village to the Main Lodge. Warm up your vehicle, turn on your defrost and scrape all windows, inside and out before driving. California law requires you to wear your seatbelt.

California law requires you to turn on headlights:

• When weather conditions require you to use windshield wipers
• On frosty mornings when other drivers’ windows may be icy or fogged
• Any time you have trouble seeing other cars, other drivers will have trouble seeing you, too.

Take curves at slow speed and avoid sharp turning. Braking as you turn on ice may cause you to skid straight ahead. Braking too hard may result in brakes locking up (unless you have ABS brakes). Make a test stop when safe to do so to get an idea of how far it takes to stop. Brakes can become wet in rainy and snowy conditions. Light, steady pressure on the pedal will warm and dry brake pads. When roads get icy your tires’ ability to stick to the road can be reduced to 5%. Going slow is very important. Leave plenty of space behind the car ahead of you. The empty space between your vehicle and the one in front of you should take you 2 to 4 seconds to travel. For ice and snow, three or four times as much space is needed. Keep a high visual horizon; watch the foreground of the vehicle in front of you or several hundred yards ahead if the road is clear. In whiteouts, look for snow stakes to find your way. Slushy days and freezing nights make for frozen brake cables so avoid using your hand or parking brake in winter conditions. Use first gear when parking a manual transmission vehicle. A good defensive driver drives to avoid accidents according to conditions. Always be ready to surrender the right-of-way, slow down, or change direction according to what the conditions dictate.