10-21-2020 – 9 AM – Good day and thanks for stopping by, looks like a change to some colder weather is in store late this weekend.

The snowmaking crew should get a good run in starting sometime Sunday with off and on snowmaking opportunities through at least Tuesday night. There could also be a dusting of snow late Sunday into Monday, stay tuned for the latest updates later today. 

Checking on current conditions, today’s window cast shows we are back to some more dense smoke conditions. Up at the top of Mammoth Mountain, the temperature is 44 with a WSW wind of 24 MPH. Down in Mammoth Lakes, it’s 45 with calm winds, in Bishop it’s 47 with calm winds. 

Smoke AQI and Forecast: Checking AQI levels this morning, Mammoth Lakes is at 105 with Bishop at 205. Expect smoke to be a problem until we pick up the NE winds again.

It might be until sometime this weekend that winds change enough to clear out the Eastern Sierra from all the smoke that is trapped in the area. Once the smoke is gone we should have at least 2-3 days if not longer with clear skies. As the weather cools down now we should see less smoke output from the Creek Fire. 

The Inyo National Forest continues to be open but with some exceptions. What this means is the Mammoth Lakes Basin is open and so are a few select campgrounds in the Eastern Sierra. You are also able to Mountain Bike, Fish, and Hike. Please understand that all trails in the Inyo Wilderness areas are closed at this time.

Campgrounds open: Mammoth Mtn. RV Park, New Shady Rest (closing 11/1/20), & Crowley (BLM, no water).

Roads open Monitor Pass (Hwy 89), Ebbetts Pass (Hwy 4), Sonora Pass (Hwy108), Bodie Rd. (Hwy 270), Lundy Lake Rd. Hwy 120 E (Benton), Hwy 158., Saddlebag Rd. Tioga Pass (Hwy 120 W) at Yosemite National Park Boundary is open to vehicular traffic w/ day-use reservation or proof of overnight accommodation in the park required.

Fall Colors: Are now peaking above 7500 feet in all areas of the Eastern Sierra. Below that elevation, many trees have started the yellowing process. Check out Bishop Creek Canyon, Rock Creek Canyon, and the June Lake loop for the best colors you can drive to and get photos. With a hard freeze forecast by Monday morning, now is the time to see to colors before they freeze and lose their colors.

Eastern Sierra and Mammoth Weather: Looks like a big cool down from Thursday into next Sunday as two systems drop into the great basin during that time frame. Mammoth Mountain will get the first hard freeze of the season by Sunday with a dusting of snow also possible from the second system. Expect all areas of the Eastern Sierra to get the first freeze of the season by Monday morning at the latest. 

We should see clear skies over the next few days with highs in the mid to upper 60s in Mammoth Lakes with low to mid-80s in Bishop. Nighttime lows will be in the 30s to low 40s for Mammoth Lakes with 40s for Bishop into Thursday.   

For Snowman’s full weather forecast along with weather images, check out the Mammoth Weather page. 

Snowmaking crews are getting ready to flip the switch on snowmaking operations. It looks like the first run of the season could be this coming Sunday / Monday / Tuesday. 

Here is a link to learn more about the Mammoth Mountain Snowmaking System.