Mammoth Mountain Weather & Discussion
Almost Daily Weather for Mammoth Mountain and the Southern Eastern Sierra
3 Day Forecast:
Main Lodge / Mammoth Lakes Basin: Sunny, with a high near 56. Southwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
Mammoth Lakes: Sunny, with a high near 67. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
Bishop: Sunny, with a high near 88. South-southeast wind 11 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph.
Fire Permits and Restrictions: Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place. To learn more about the USFS Fire Restrictions, visit this link.
North East Pacific Infrared Satellite Image
Intelicast Rad
Mammoth Weather Discussion & Fantasy Long Range Outlook
9-4-2026 @ 11:30 AM – Day 5 through 10: Behind the low, a new cutoff low might set up off the coast of California, pulling in the leftover energy from Hurricane Marie and possibly sending a few showers over the Sierra Crest and Mammoth Mountain by the middle to the latter half of next week.
At some point, one of these old tropical systems is going to send a bunch of moisture our way like last week. Just very hard to tell when that will happen; models struggle with tropical system remnants as they move northward. It’s like trying to forecast a cutoff low 5 days out; not going to happen.
For the next 10 days, it does look like California will remain cool with lower heights and weak troughing during days 5-10. Beyond that, models want to warm us up again, but by then it will be mid-September, so don’t expect any really hot weather again until next year.
Have a great day, Snowman 🙂
Weather Videos
❓ Top Mammoth Weather Questions (from the Snowman)
When does Mammoth usually get its first snowfall?
Light snow can fall in late September, but consistent snowfall usually begins in late October or early November. Opening Day typically lands between November 10 and Thanksgiving, depending on storm activity and snowmaking.
How does the ENSO pattern affect Mammoth’s late fall and winter weather?
ENSO (El Niño/La Niña) plays a big role in Sierra storm patterns. El Niño winters often bring warmer, wetter storms. La Niña typically favors colder, backloaded seasons with more snow from February through April. Neutral years are the wildcards with high variability.
What is 500mb height and why does it matter?
500mb height maps show atmospheric pressure around 18,000 feet — a critical layer for tracking storm tracks, ridging, and jet stream placement. Watching 500mb patterns helps forecast Mammoth’s incoming storms and long-range trends.
What are the PNA and PDO, and how do they affect Mammoth weather?
The PNA (Pacific-North American Pattern) influences western U.S. ridging and troughing. A negative PNA favors cold, stormy setups. The PDO (Pacific Decadal Oscillation) affects sea surface temperatures in the North Pacific — a negative PDO often aligns with enhanced storm delivery into California during winter.
👉 Want more answers? Check out the full Mammoth Weather FAQ – 50 Expert Answers to learn more about storms, snow, winds, and long-range patterns from a trusted local source.
Author Bio: Steve Taylor, The Mammoth Snowman. Over the last 40+ years, Steve has spent countless hours studying and learning about Mammoth Mountain Weather and Snow Conditions.
Dr. George, Don Marcelin, Howard Sheckter, and Ted Schlaepfer were his weather mentors at that time. Steve used to hang out with Howard in the Weather War room in the early ’90s, getting first-hand knowledge of Mammoth Weather from the (The Dweeb) himself.
Steve has spent countless hours reading, studying, and watching weather discussions from the NWS and multiple Private Weather Forecasters. He is a long-time member of WeatherBell, Weather West, and AccuWeather Pro. Disclaimer: Steve is a hobbyist forecaster with over 35 years of experience reporting recreational weather and travel reports for the Mammoth Lakes area.