Spring storm shifted Mammoth season
Back‑to‑back spring storms dumped more than two feet of fresh snow at Mammoth Mountain over three days, prompting the resort to extend operations through at least Memorial Day despite a Sierra snowpack that remains below normal. ( ) For homeowners facing late‑season storms, local guides are also recommending spring chimney inspection and cap installation now, rather than waiting until fall. (nationaltoday.com)
Mammoth Mountain pushed its ski season to at least Memorial Day after an April storm cycle dropped fresh snow across the Eastern Sierra. (mammothmountain.com) The resort said it picked up more than two feet of snow in three days, while Associated Press reports said the broader storm delivered more than 3.5 feet across parts of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Interstate 80 over Donner Summit also closed briefly during the storm. (cbs8.com) (usnews.com) Mammoth’s own spring page now says skiing and riding will continue “through at least Memorial Day,” and the mountain report listed 19 lifts scheduled to run this week, conditions permitting. (mammothmountain.com 1) (mammothmountain.com 2) That turnaround came less than two weeks after California’s most important snowpack check found almost nothing left at Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe. The California Department of Water Resources said on April 1 that surveyors found no measurable snow there, and statewide snowpack water content was 18% of average. (water.ca.gov) The April 1 survey matters because Sierra snow acts like California’s biggest natural reservoir, releasing water gradually into rivers and reservoirs. The Department of Water Resources says that snowpack typically supplies about 30% of the state’s water needs. (water.ca.gov) So the new snow changes conditions on the slopes more than it changes the season’s water picture. State officials said record-hot March temperatures and high-elevation rain had already erased much of the winter snow months ahead of schedule. (water.ca.gov) (latimes.com) The storm also created a second spring chore far from the ski lifts. In Oakland, East Bay Chimney Co. told homeowners this week to book chimney inspections, sweeping, repairs and cap installation now, after winter use and before spring moisture causes more damage. (nationaltoday.com) That advice is aimed at older masonry chimneys, which can absorb rain and deteriorate when cracks, missing caps or blocked flues go unaddressed. The company said spring service can reduce moisture damage and extend chimney life before the fall rush starts. (nationaltoday.com) For Mammoth, the immediate result is simpler: a season that looked closer to finished in early April now has enough new snow to keep skiers on the mountain into late May. (mammothmountain.com)
