Sierra dumped 3.5 feet
A major spring storm dropped more than 3.5 feet of snow in the eastern Sierra, briefly closing a key Northern California interstate and letting Mammoth Mountain extend its season. (winknews.com) Tahoe and Truckee reported the same roughly 3.5‑foot surge, reversing a dry March and delivering a late‑season mountain boost. (tahoedailytribune.com)
A spring storm dropped more than 3.5 feet of snow in California’s Sierra Nevada over the weekend, reopening winter in mid-April. (usnews.com) The heaviest totals fell in the eastern Sierra near Mammoth Lakes, where Mammoth Mountain said fresh snow let it keep spring operations going after a thin, warm March. Mammoth’s “Second Season” plan now keeps Canyon Lodge open through April 19, with skiing from Main Lodge after April 20. (mammothmountain.com) The same storm hit Tahoe and Truckee on Sunday, April 12, with Palisades Tahoe and Kirkwood Mountain Resort each reporting about 3.5 feet of new snow at higher elevations. OpenSnow forecaster Bryan Allegretto told the Tahoe Daily Tribune that April snowfall had reached about 70 inches so far. (tahoedailytribune.com) Travel snapped shut for a time on Interstate 80, the main east-west freeway over Donner Summit, before California Department of Transportation reports showed restrictions easing by late Monday, April 13. The National Weather Service had winter storm warnings in the Sierra through Sunday night. (roads.dot.ca.gov) (forecast.weather.gov) The timing stood out because California water officials had just reported one of the weakest April snow readings on record. On April 1, the Department of Water Resources found no measurable snow at Phillips Station after a hot, dry March melted much of the Sierra pack. (water.ca.gov) State data still showed the broader snow picture lagging badly even after the storm. The Department of Water Resources snow dashboard listed statewide snowpack at 16% of the April 1 average on April 7, with the Northern Sierra at 5%, the Central Sierra at 19%, and the Southern Sierra at 27%. (water.ca.gov) That gap matters for more than ski lifts. The Sierra snowpack usually supplies about one-third of California’s water, and the April 1 measurement is the benchmark state agencies use to gauge runoff for farms, cities, and reservoirs. (usnews.com) (water.ca.gov) For skiers, though, the storm changed the last weeks of the season right away. Mammoth’s mountain report said 19 lifts were scheduled to run on Sunday, with clear skies and temperatures in the 40s after the storm moved through. (mammothmountain.com) The Sierra went from bare spring slopes to chain controls and powder in a single weekend. California’s snow season is still far below normal, but April 2026 is ending with packed parking lots instead of dirt. (tahoedailytribune.com)
