Mammoth Lakes may have some of the best terrain for everything from skiing to fly-fishing, but if the weather is bad then you can’t enjoy any of it.
We know, it sounds crazy for someone to think about fly-fishing in Mammoth Lakes. After all, with snow as great as Mammoth Lake’s how can you do anything other than strap something to your feet and start riding? To help you enjoy the snow as much as possible this upcoming season, the ASO Mammoth team has reviewed the 2019/20 winter forecasts and gathered the most important information here for you. Check it out below and see what kind of snow you can expect this winter!
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (NOAA)
Predicting weather perfectly is an impossible task, but NOAA may come the closest out of anyone out there. Unfortunately, their predictions for 2019/2020 season are not great for snow.
NOAA is predicting above average temperatures for just about the entire western half of the United States, The Southeast and East Coast are also forecasted to have above average temperatures this year as El Niño fails to spin up in the Pacific Ocean. However, the most significant high temperatures are forecasted for the Northern half of Alaska while the Southern half of Alaska can also expect warmer than average temperatures.
In terms of precipitation, NOAA is predicting a dry winter for most of California. The mid-state area along the coast is where the lack of precipitation is expected to be the most dramatic, but the low precipitation levels are forecasted to reach well into Nevada. On the other hand, NOAA is predicting higher than average precipitation for most of the North West, with the most significant precipitation falling along the Montana-North Dakota border. NOAA is also forecasting higher than average precipitation for most of Alaska.
For Mammoth Mountain specifically, NOAA’s forecast looks like a strong departure from 2018/19’s record-breaking precipitation. Higher than average temperatures and low precipitation could result in thinner coverage and softer snow.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac
The Old Farmer’s Almanac may not be the most reliable place to find weather forecasts, but when a publication has been around for this long it’s worth mentioning its predictions.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac forecasts a slightly more positive winter for the Western half of the United States. Although most of California is forecasted to have dry weather just as in NOAA’s forecast, further West into Nevada, Utah, and Colorado is forecasted to have low temperatures and deep snow. For the rest of the United States, the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting heavy precipitation along the East Coast and in the South East. In the Midwest the forecast is also calling for heavy precipitation with mixed amounts of snow and ice. Across most of the Northern states bordering Canada, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting heavy snow.
While the Old Farmer’s Almanac is forecasting a more traditional winter than NOAA, the forecast for Mammoth Mountain remains the same for the most part. There will be lower precipitation, but also lower temperatures that will allow for snowmaking.
Before signing off, we should emphasize that predicting weather perfectly is an impossible task. Weather patterns and the forecasts based off of them are constantly changing. If you want to be up to date on Mammoth Lakes weather, then you’ll have to keep checking back here for ASO Mammoth’s weekend weather reports where we let you know what to expect for your weekend on the mountain all winter long!