The Real Snow Report for the 3rd week of November by The Mammoth Brand

Thanks for checking out our Mammoth Mountain snow report for the 3rd week of November. Although conditions have deteriorated slightly, there is still plenty of fun to be had on the hill. We have to remember that it is only Mid-November and considering that a dozen or so ski resorts across the west just announced they would delay their opening (including Heavenly and Northstar in Tahoe), I think we are pretty lucky. The feature image shows most of the open portions of the mountain from Chair 1 and the image below shows conditions on Saddle Bowl.

Conditions: Although we have had some pretty warm weather over the last week here in Mammoth Lakes, it has been cold enough at night to hold most of the current snow base. We have had some wind on the Mountain and that has created some really nice wind buff with powder like conditions in some spots under Chair 23. If you are going off trail you might not want to bring your new gear because base scratches from rocks still sticking through the snow are likely. The rest of the open runs vary from sugary granular snow, to soft slush with some bare or icy spots. The busy runs get very bumpy later in the day, so get there early for best groomers. All in all, it is pretty fun out there and coverage is great for November.

Weather: Warm weather continues through the week and probably to the end of the month. With consistently cold nights we are hoping for some snow making with the only chance of a medium to large snowfall coming at the end of the month. We are looking at some strong winds possible on Thurs-Fri with a slight chance of natural snow if we are lucky.

Photo: Looking up towards the top of Chair 23 from Saddle Bowl.

Weekend Outlook: With the scheduled Mammoth opening day behind us and Thanksgiving weekend more than a week away, I would expect a wide open Mammoth mountain over the next week. Although we will see an uptick in people on the slopes this weekend, it will not be nearly as crowded as next weekend. This is a great time to get out on the hill and get your snow legs back. With only Mammoth Mountain main lodge open plan to take the parking shuttle to the lifts and don’t forget a mask (they are still required on shuttles).

Park Report: Unbound express is running and Mammoth has expanded their park to the top of the lift. Since it is so close to the base of the mountain and the park sees a lot of action, conditions has deteriorated. However, the park staff does a good job refreshing the run every night, so it is still pretty fun. The features are pretty much all the same, but more spread out now, with 8-10 rails, boxes, and jibs.