It looks like the last of the significant snowfall for the 18/19 winter season has fallen, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have a blast at Mammoth Mountain this weekend.
Mammoth is finally getting hit by consistent spring weather which means that spring snow is slowly spreading over the mountain. As a result, you may need to be a little pickier about where you ski and ride based on what you’re looking for, but the spring snow also brings one of the most coveted types of snow anywhere, corn.
Keep reading to find out what kind of weather and snow you can expect this weekend!
Snowfall Totals from Last Week
As mentioned, the Mammoth snow machine seems to have shut down for the year with the only reported accumulation being 1 inch on Wednesday, April 10th. On top of that, consistently warmer weather is in the forecast so coverage will most likely only get thinner from here on.
Don’t worry though, the base of 456 inches will last all the way until July so there is still plenty of fun to be had!
Forecast for the Weekend of 4/12/19-4/14/19
Friday: Friday the 12th looks to be an excellent day at Mammoth Mountain. Although the forecasts are calling for only light accumulations on Thursday night, the high for Friday is only 31˚ with clear skies. The dusting of snow along with excellent weather will make for a great day on the mountain, and as the day progresses into night the excellent weather will continue with a low of 20˚ and clear skies.
Saturday: If below freezing is too cold for you, then Saturday the 13th will be a refresher with a high of 42˚ and gentle winds. While the day will be warmer, the night will cool down to 26˚ and the winds will pick up with gusts as high as 25 mph with partly cloudy skies.
Sunday: The warm weather will continue into Sunday the 14th. The skies will remain cloudy and you can expect more wind during the day, but the high will be 40˚ which should make for an excellent day on the mountain. On Sunday night there will be snow in the area with a low 26˚, but there is only a 30% chance of snow for Mammoth and it is expected after midnight with little to no accumulation.
What to Watch for:
We’ve talked about spring snow before, but with the warmer weather on the way it is more relevant than ever.
Most skiers and snowboarders will want to avoid slushy snow. That means riding areas at higher elevations that either haven’t been hit by the sun yet or haven’t spent a lot of time under sunlight and are soft but not slushy. For example, the backside of the mountain is going to get hit by the sun later in the day so if you plan on riding there, aim to do so in the morning before the sun turns the snow to slush.
Most importantly though, spring snow brings the possibility of corn. If you’re unfamiliar, corn is the name for snow that has gone through the thawing and freezing process over and over again so that the snow clumps together. If you hit the corn right when it has thawed slightly but is not slush yet, you’ll be rewarded with a soft, forgiving surface that skiers and snowboarders dream about. You have to hit the snow at the perfect time though, so if you’re looking for corn plan ahead and follow the sun!