Mammoth gets more than two feet

Mammoth Mountain pushed its ski season deeper into spring after back-to-back April storms dropped more than two feet of new snow in three days. (cbs8.com) The resort reported 25 inches of fresh snow over three days, and Associated Press coverage said the broader eastern Sierra picked up more than 3.5 feet during the weekend storm. (cbs8.com) (timesofsandiego.com) Mammoth’s official spring operations page says Canyon Lodge is scheduled to close after April 19, with all lift access moving to Main Lodge on April 20 as the resort shifts into its “Second Season” schedule. (mammothmountain.com) The snowfall arrived after a March heat wave melted much of California’s snow and pushed many ski areas to close for the year, leaving Mammoth as one of the state’s few major resorts still spinning lifts in mid-April. (timesofsandiego.com) (mammothmountain.com) In California, late snow is not just a tourism story. The Sierra Nevada snowpack supplies about one-third of the state’s water, and spring storms can still add to that reserve even after warm spells strip lower-elevation cover. (nationaltoday.com) The same storm system disrupted travel far from Mammoth. Caltrans reported Interstate 80 traffic was briefly held in both directions in the Sierra on April 12 because of spinouts, with chain controls stretching toward the Nevada state line. (roads.dot.ca.gov) The National Weather Service posted a Winter Storm Warning for Mammoth Lakes from 2 p.m. on April 11 through 11 p.m. on April 12, covering the period when the heaviest snow hit Mono County. (weather.gov) Forecast offices in Northern California warned the storm could still produce another 1 to 2 feet of snow above 4,500 feet on April 12, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour in stronger bands. (weather.gov) By April 14, Mammoth’s mountain report showed 19 lifts scheduled to run, clear skies, and temperatures in the 40s — a quick turn from storm delays to classic spring skiing. (mammothmountain.com)