March 2nd, 2024 @ 6 AM – Good morning; Blizzard Warnings continue this morning. If you are planning on trying to ski or ride today, bundle up and be ready for delays. As of 6 AM the ski area is planning on trying to run chairs 8, 15, 17, 20 and 21, all other lifts are on wind hold.
Currently, out on the hill, there are cloudy skies with moderate to heavy snowfall and very strong winds. At the Main Lodge, there is a temperature of 17 degrees with winds at the top of Chair 1 out of the WSW at 56 MPH with gusts to 120+ MPH. Up Top, the weather station is down. Taking a look at the top of Lincoln Mountain there is a temperature of 14 degrees with winds out of the SW at 55 MPH to 117 MPH.
At the Snow Study Site (9000 Feet), the snowfall recorded from this storm is an estimated 28 inches with 2.84 inches of water content. Snowfall accumulations have been limited due to highs winds causing snow flake fracking. The base is now up to 101 inches, with 28 inches of seasonal precipitation. The base up Top is an estimated 140-160+ inches.
Travel & Road Forecast: Blizzard conditions at times are being reported on Highway 395 and on all high country roads above 6000 feet this morning. On Highway 395 chains snow or snow tires are required 17 mile north of Bishop to Mammoth Lakes. 395 is now closed from Mammoth Lakes to Bridgeport due to blizzard conditions. Highway 203 and all roads in Mammoth Lakes are R1.
My advice for travelers is to wait till Sunday to drive up. If you do drive up expect 395 to close at some point and you will have to wait it out in Bishop. If you want to check out the 395 and 203 webcams in one place, check out our road conditions page at this link.
Mammoth Mountain Weather Forecast
For Today expect cloudy skies with moderate to heavy snowfall at times with blizzard conditions due to strong winds. Snowfall amounts during the day look to be in the 12-18+ inch range, with snowfall ratios around 10-1 due to fracking.
Mid-day temperatures will be in the upper teens to lower 20s with SW winds at 30-35 MPH with gusts to 55-65+ MPH at times on the lower and mid-mountain. Some areas of the hill will have some extreme gusts over 100+ MPH as we are seeing at this time.
The Snowfall and Winds are expected to back of this afternoon and then pick up again overnight till around mid day morning on Sunday.
For The Mammoth Weather Guy Tuesday & Friday Powder Forecast, click here.
Mammoth Mountain Snow Report from the Snowman
3-2-24 @ 7:20 AM – Today will be a day of wind and weather holds out on Mammoth Mountain with blizzard conditions at times. By Sunday the storm will start to wind down and that will allow more lifts to open by mid-day. Until then expect very limited operations for Saturday with big delays in lifts opening on Sunday.
Once this storm moves out, there should be some great powder turns. The back end of this system will have less wind and that will allows some light and fluffy powder on top of the fracked out sandy like snow that is accumulating right now. By Monday morning you groomer lovers should have mile of fresh mid winter packed powder to rip up.
*Keep in mind after a storm like this every lift needs a rebuild on the entrance and exit ramps, chairs need to be cleared and avy control needs to take place. It’s a major operation and for safety sake nobody is rushing the process.
Ski Patrol has seen a lot of people not having any patience or respect for this process this season by ducking closed ropes. If you decide to be one of these fools you expect to lose your pass for 30s and be refered to MLPD.
Snowman
What’s up off the Mountain? In the Mammoth Lakes Basin, the Tamarack Cross Country Ski Area is 100% open and groomed to perfection. Off to the sides of the Cross Country Trails, the access path is groomed and ready for those who want to snowshoe up into the Lakes Basin.
Down in Mammoth Lakes, there is plenty of snow for snow play and snowman creations; if your kids are sledding, please make them wear helmets. Up at Woolly’s Tube Park, all the sledding lanes and the snow play areas are open.
The current snow line runs down to the top of the Sherwin Grade and then includes the top section of Lower Rock Creek Canyon Trail. Rock Creek Canyon Road is open to the SnoPark area.
Down in the Bishop area, there is a lot to do if you’re looking to get out of the snow zone. The Disk Golf Course at Mill Pond is open as is the Bishop Golf Course. Mountain Biking is also a blast right now with all the trails and OHV areas in great shape from recent rains.
Click here for a complete list of what to do in the winter besides skiing and snowboarding on Mammoth Mountain.
A Few February Photos from the Snowman and Friends
Website Author – Steve Taylor – Mammoth Snowman – Over the last 35+ years, Snowman has spent countless hours studying and learning about Mammoth Mountain Weather and Snow Conditions firsthand. He has been skiing around the hill with marked ski poles since March of 1991 so he can measure the fresh snowfall amounts out on the hill.
Snowman started blogging this information back in 1990 on the old Mammoth BBS system, then the RSN Forums, and then on to MammothSnowman.com in 2004 with the Video & Photo Blog report. (No YouTube back then). Facebook was added to the fold back in 2008 and then the Facebook Group in 2016.
Reports, videos, and photos from the website have been featured on both local TV Stations here in Mammoth, along with AP, Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC News. You can learn more about the MammothSnowman.com team here.
>>>>If you find our content of value and enjoy my website’s daily updates, the information provided, the social posts, social FAQs, photos, and videos, please consider becoming a monthly or annual supporter today. Here is the link to learn more.
