The Eastern Sierra Gets Its First Dump of the Season

Mammoth Mountain is scheduled to kick off California’s ski season on November 13, and the Eastern Sierra has delivered the area’s first legitimate dump just in time.

A short email from the resort over the weekend announced that Sunday morning had brought nine inches of snow at the Main Lodge (8,900 ft.) and 15 inches at the summit (11,000 ft.). With opening day plans fewer than two weeks away at this point, the resort says the snow guns are firing and grounds crews are working “full steam ahead.”

Images from Mammoth Mountain and Mammoth Lakes Tourism show that the Easter Sierra is in full winter mode already, but forecasters have their eyes on dry, warmer weather ahead. More snow was expected Tuesday, but temps are likely to climb around Mammoth Lakes as we head into the weekend.

“By the weekend, many mountain locations reach the 50s, while even higher elevations struggle to freeze overnight. Expect additional settling and melting on sunny slopes, with better preservation on shaded upper terrain. Southern California stays dry this week, with mountain breezes Tuesday into Wednesday followed by warmer conditions and developing offshore flow,” the team at SnowBrains writes.

On Monday, Mt. Rose announced a surprise early opening that would skip ahead of Mammoth’s plans to be first in the Sierra this season. The ski area on the Nevada side of Tahoe was expected to open around November 20, but the same storm prompted them to prep for a fresh start two weeks earlier on November 13. That will make Mt. Rose the first in the Tahoe area and the first within reach of the West Coast, while Mammoth still plans to hold on to its title as the first in California.