The Summit at Mammoth Mountain on May 27, 2026. Photo: Mammoth Mountain
Some late-May snow came to California on Wednesday. It kicked off a two-day storm that’s forecast to bring several inches to high elevation locations.
“Is this the end or the beginning?” Powderchasers asked on Tuesday as forecasts began to ramp up. “Occasional snowfall mid to late week in the Sierra favors areas south of the lake. Snow levels are very low initially for late May (5500-6K) moving higher (8-9K) by later this week. Expect 5-10 inches at the higher elevations with 1-3 inches possible at pass summits.”
It looked like the dead of winter at Mammoth Mountain’s summit, and by midday the sun was starting to shine through over a fresh blanket of snow. The resort’s webcams showed coverage wasn’t nearly as thick under 10,000 feet but some parts of the mountain clearly still have fun conditions and enough snow to push through the new June 7 closing date.
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The late-May system may not feel like more than a dusting compared to true winter dumps, but conditions could be great come Friday morning as the storm dies off. Mammoth had planned to stay open through May 31 before announcing the weeklong extension on Tuesday. This weekend could have been the best possible send-off to a season that got off to a slow start and limped through the end of winter, but then again, who wouldn’t take another seven days to get more turns in?
