Mammoth Mountain Snowman Report
April 18th, 2025, @ 9:30 AM: Hello and Good morning. There are gorgeous, clear skies over Mammoth Mountain and the Eastern Sierra today, with cooler temperatures in the area. This weekend looks great, with a 10-degree warm-up on Saturday creating perfect corn snow to ski and ride on for the foreseeable future.
As of this post, the temperature (11,053 feet) up top is 19 degrees, and winds are out of the ESE at 10 to 18 MPH. At the Main Lodge (8,900 feet), the temperature is 29, with an E wind of 1-8 MPH. Lower elevations are in the lower 40s to low 50s with windy conditions down in the Bishop and Mill Pond area.
Snow Report: Welcome to the spring skiing and riding season. This is the last weekend of full operations on Mammoth Mountain. For the next couple of days, take advantage of full mountain access if you can.
There is still a lot of snow on Mammoth Mountain, with full-on spring corn snow season conditions mountain-wide. The current base: 82 inches of snow on the ground at Main Lodge, 136 inches at Mc Coy Station, and 154 inches up top.
The Groomers: The snow is groomed to a fast, carvable corduroy surface at the start of each day. Between 9:30 and 10 AM, the lower groomers start to soften into a nice corn snow surface that would make you smile if you had waxed up your gear the night before.
By mid-morning, the mid-mountain groomers loosen up, and runs like Solitude and Saddle Bowl are perfect. You can also ride to the top, hit up a groomed Cornice Bowl, and then ride down World Cup to St Anton once the race ropes get pulled.
My favorite run off the top during the spring is the groomed Scotties run, which turns to a smooth, silver-lined surface later in the morning hours.
Off the Groomed: Spring conditions mean hard-packed snow conditions early in the morning, with the snow softening between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., depending on the weather and whether the snow froze the night before.
Snowman’s favorite lines during the Spring are Sign Line, Climax, Hangers, Drop Outs early, and Wipe Outs in the Afternoon. I also love the fun mogul lines already forming in West Bowl.
**Please Note that this is the Last Week for Canyon & Eagle Lodges. Mammoth will switch to Spring Operations next Monday, operating out of the Main Lodge and the Mill Only. More information is down the page.
Mammoth Weather Forecast for Your Adventure
Weather Summary: Expect an east flow today into early Saturday. The flow returns to the SW midday on Saturday, allowing for a warm-up of around 8-11 degrees. Sunday through next Wednesday looks excellent, with highs in the low 50s and a light freeze each night at the 9000-foot level.
The next spring trough will move into the West Coast by late next week, bringing more scattered thunderstorms with rain and snow showers chances by the following weekend.
Here are the fine details if you’re out on the hill Today:
- Early Morning Temps: Expect temperatures in the upper 20s at first chair.
- Midday temperatures range from 40-45 degrees from Main Lodge (8,900′) down to Canyon Lodge, with upper 30s to lower 40s over the mid and upper mountain (9,500′–11,053′).
- Winds: North wind 10 to 15 mph at the 9000-foot level in the afternoon. Mid to upper mountain winds north wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30-40 mph.
Traveler’s Update: All winter road routes are open and clear. Tioga Pass is closed from late May to possibly mid-June.
More Mountain & Travel Information
All lifts, runs, lodges, and shuttle routes will remain open through April 20th (weather permitting). After that, Spring Operations will shift to the Main Lodge only. Lift hours run from 8:30 AM to 4 PM daily, but will switch to 7:30 AM – 2 PM in a few weeks.
Snow conditions over the next six weeks typically mix classic spring corn snow with the occasional wintery day. The snow is firm early and then softens as the morning moves on. Lower runs typically turn to mashed potatoes by noon to 1 pm, with decent snow on the mid and upper mountains until the lifts close.
To get the best spring skiing and riding experience, clean and prep your gear nightly by cleaning your bases and applying a fresh coat of hot wax. I like to take a few minutes to soak the wax into the bases with a hot iron. Getting your bases some spring texture will also help with the wet snow, so you don’t have to slow down too much.
If you don’t know how to wax your gear, Matt at Fast Ski Sports offers our Mammoth Snowman readers a Free Hot Wax service. Just head into his shop in the upper parts of the Vons Mall. Tell him we sent you in for the Free Snowman Hot Wax, and you’re good to go! 🙂 He can also teach you how to do it yourself and set you up with everything you need.
Key Closing Dates – Snow Season 2025:
Tamarack Cross Country Ski Area: Hard closure by the Forest Service on April 16th. After that, Fat Bikes and Snowmobiles will be allowed in the Mammoth Lakes Basin.
Little Eagle Lodge & Canyon Lodge: The final day of operations is Sunday, April 20th. There’s plenty of snow to make it to that date without issue.
Main Lodge and The Mill: Expect these lifts to stay open through Memorial Day Weekend.
👇 Live from the Mountain
Check out the latest conditions via the McCoy Station Webcam Windowcast below.
Other Things to Do During Early Spring 2025
Spring is the season of transition here in the Eastern Sierra. The lower elevations are snow-free, and the snowpack above 7500 feet starts to melt. As that snowline retreats to the higher elevations, the lower elevations open up for some fun exploring and epic Adventures.
As of today’s update, the snow line has retreated to around the entrance of Mammoth Lakes, opening up a wide range of terrain below that for hiking, biking, and even fishing in select legal spots.
Above 9000 feet, you will still find 5-10+ feet of snow on the ground, including the Mammoth Lakes Basin. Snowmobiles will be allowed to access the Basin until the road is plowed for the late spring and summer seasons.
Spring Mountain Biking: Depending on the snowline, there are many trails to ride during the early spring months. Most of us will head down to Bishop or Lower Rock Creek Canyon Trail for a ride at this time of year.
With this year’s snowpack at about average and warmer days than average in the area, expect a quicker melt-off of the high county trails. Expect the Mammoth Mountain Bike Park lower runs near Canyon and Eagle to run by the third week of May.
Check out my new (but still under construction) Eastern Sierra Mountain Bike website, which has more information on where to ride; here is the link.
Scenic Gondola Rides: Riding to the top of Mammoth Mountain is a fantastic experience. The views are breathtaking as you ride up. There is an interpretative center at the Top Station with more information about the Eastern Sierra, Mammoth Mountain, and the mountain peaks you can see from the 11,000-foot level. The ride-up should be on everyone’s bucket list who does not ski or ride.
Click here to learn more and view a video preview of the ride up to the top of Mammoth Mountain.
Hiking / Walking: Early Spring offers fun hiking/walking options depending on the snow levels. During the drier snow seasons, the lower sections of the Mammoth Lakes Town Loop are an excellent walking option, and the last time I checked, they were all open and cleared of snow.
The second option is the Lower Rock Creek Trail, about 10 miles south of Mammoth Lakes, just past Tom’s Place if you’re heading south of 395. When we checked here last, all the snow and ice were gone in all 3 sections of LRCT.
Events – April through June 2025
April 2025
- Weekend Après Party
Fridays & Saturdays, April 11–19 @ Canyon Lodge Sundeck
DJ sets in a gondola booth + spring après energy. - Spring Egg Hunt
April 16, 2–4 PM @ LA Kings Ice Rink
Kids’ egg hunt and community fun. - Ripping Over 50 Camp
April 14–17 @ Mammoth Mountain
Ski/snowboard camp for those aged 50+. - Mammoth Caldera Burn
April 19 @ The Mill
Endurance ski mountaineering event with multiple ascents.
May 2025
- Freestyle Ski & Snowboard Camp
May 3–4 @ Mammoth Mountain
Two-day terrain park camp for intermediate+ skiers and riders (age 10+). - Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
May 21–25 @ Multiple venues
Celebrating bold, independent films and emerging artists.
June 2025
- Monster Energy Mammoth Motocross
June 20–29 @ Sherwin Creek Road
Premier off-road racing with motocross legends and rising stars. - Mammoth Feel Good Festival
June 27–28 @ The Village Plaza
Kick off summer with music, food, drinks, and mountain air vibes
Author: Steve Taylor, The Mammoth Snowman. For over 30 years, Snowman has meticulously studied Mammoth Mountain’s weather and snow conditions. Since March 1991, he’s used marked ski poles to measure fresh snowfall across the mountain.
He began sharing his insights in 1990 on the Mammoth BBS system, later moving to RSN Forums, and launching MammothSnowman.com in 2004 with a video and photo blog (pre-YouTube). A Facebook presence followed in 2008, with a dedicated group added in 2016. His reports, videos, and photos have been featured on local Mammoth TV stations, as well as national news outlets including AP, Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC.
