Mammoth gets 3.5 ft storm

A weekend storm dropped more than 3.5 feet of snow in the eastern Sierra and pushed Mammoth Mountain to keep skiing open through Memorial Day. (usnews.com) The storm hit Sunday, April 12, and briefly shut down Interstate 80 over Donner Summit as snow piled up across the range. Mammoth said the new snow let it extend operations after a thin late season. (usnews.com) In Tahoe and Truckee, Palisades Tahoe and Kirkwood Mountain Resort each reported about 3.5 feet of new snow at higher elevations. OpenSnow forecaster Bryan Allegretto said the burst lifted April snowfall there to about 70 inches so far. (tahoedailytribune.com) That snow arrived after a dry March in the Sierra, when warmth and sparse storms cut into late-season coverage at many California mountains. Tahoe’s season total reached about 348 inches, or 88% of average for this point in the season, after the April storm. (sierrasun.com) Mammoth is one of the few California resorts that usually aims for a long spring schedule because its summit tops 11,000 feet. The resort says its season typically runs from November into June. (mammothmountain.com) As of April 14, Mammoth’s operations page showed 19 lifts scheduled to run, with several lower-mountain chairs already done for the season. Its spring guide says lift hours usually shift in late April or early May to favor firmer morning snow. (mammothmountain.com, mammothmountain.com) Other Sierra resorts are still winding down. The Reno Gazette Journal reported April 13 that Mammoth planned to stay open through Memorial Day with limited terrain, while several Tahoe-area mountains were already moving toward closing dates in mid-to-late April. (rgj.com) For skiers, the storm bought time rather than a reset. Mammoth’s late-season pitch now looks a lot more like the resort’s usual spring: fewer lifts, earlier hours, and fresh snow still hanging on into May. (mammothmountain.com, mammothmountain.com)