Finally!!! The best storm of the season has already dropped more than a foot of white fluff in Mammoth, with much more piling up on the Hill and at higher elevations. Best part is it's supposed to continue like this all day. Yahoo!
Video by W Grasseschi
Travel anywhere today, Dec. 14, is highly not recommended! Mammoth is knee deep in one of its classic blizzard style storms, with blowing winds, almost no visibility past 50 feet, and a lot of freaked out, inexperienced drivers who are as likely to stop on the side of the road partially in a lane out of sheer fear as anything. We had to go out due to a previous commitment (despite our words of warning here) for a trip across town and we saw at least four cars literally just parked, with flashers on and barely off the main lane of Minaret and Canyon. There's no way they were all broken down so it was most likely the lack of chains and/or fear and slippery roads. We even had some idiot fly past us on Meridian into oncoming traffic in a whiteout, weaving and bobbing and passing three other cars ahead of us, barely missing four oncoming cars. Good Grief.
It was too blurry to get a license plate; we wish!
Bottom line is... STAY HOME.
Thanks. MT
Video by W Grasseschi
It pretty much snowed for five days starting early Saturday morning and lasting into Tuesday afternoon (today). If it had been colder storm, we could well have seen four feet of snow in town; instead it was a very warm storm with very wet, heavy snow, keeping the snow depth to barely half of that in much of Mammoth. Mammoth Mountain received just about three feet in the same time; not the six to eight they had hoped for. But we are not complaining; this is the kind of first storm of the season that sets a good base for the Sierra range and for the ski hill because it is so dense and heavy. Starting tomorrow, Nov, 27, the holiday rush is about to begin so hold on to your patience, drive slow and steady and get ready for some much sunnier days ahead as the storm exits and a high pressure ridge takes over for the holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
That's more like it, Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra!
Nov. 26, 2024.
Photo by W Grasseschi
Snowy evening in Mammoth, Nov. 11, 2024. Photo by W Grasseschi
Ok, Mammoth and the Eastern Sierra this is getting ridiculous!!! Driving home to Mammoth last night, 6 p.m., elevation 8,000 feet, it was 90 degrees. At 6 p.m. That might not sound like a lot to some, but we are about 1.5 miles high and that is a record high temp for our area. That said, looking back at this video of last year's hike up the Mist Trail in Yosemite was some compensation!
Video by Wendilyn Grasseschi
Mama and little ones are out everywhere this summer; be careful!
The Bi State sage grouse are having a banner year as some of you who hike or walk the lower elevations of our home know; Long Valley, the Owens Valley, etc. Be careful out there; we have changed our dog walk routes several time this spring and summer to avoid chicks and parents until they mature. This was taken near Sherwin Creek Road toward Laurel Ponds country.
Are you kidding me? This isn't spring. Mammoth Morning, April 5. Video by W Grasseschi
Mammoth morning dig out... and to think this is NOTHING compared to last year's crazy storms, at least in terms of snow depth. Video by Wendilyn Grasseschi
Mammoth blizzard, March 2, 2024, 5 p.m.. As you can see, Round 2 has arrived, with some of the best snowfall we've seen in this storm series. Blizzard conditions are forecast to continue and INTENSIFY through the evening and into the night and morning, with winds reaching up to 70 mph along U.S. 395 this evening and into the morning. The snowfall is expected to intensify as well, dropping between one and two more feet of snow in the town of Mammoth before the storm slows down tomorrow morning. As you can probably guess, 395 is closed from Gorge Road 11 miles north of Bishop to Bridgeport and there's no indication they are doing escorts at this point. Chains are required after Bridgeport.
Snowy early morning drive, Mammoth, Feb. 19, 2024. The roads had not been plowed much at 6 am except on the main routes (this was taken on Old Mammoth and it was plowed) but the plows are catching up fast now. The snow, which dropped about eight to ten inches in the lower sections of Mammoth, is super heavy and dense (in other words, there is a lot of water contained in the snow) so any smaller car without clearance and/or 4WD will not be able to drive unplowed roads or driveways and just push this stuff aside like they might with lighter snow; it will just get stuck under the car and/or behind the wheels and bring progress to a halt. In other words, stay home until you're fully plowed out! This storm came in later and will leave earlier than forecast and the forecast for the rest of the week is dropping snow amounts pretty dramatically from what they were even yesterday so... here we are. That's a bummer as we still need more snow and precipitation to catch up to being a 'normal' winter snow wise but... we will take what we get! The updated forecast gives ua a break later today and into tomorrow, with another smallish storm in the cycle tomorrow night into Wednesday morning. Then, some sun and clearing for the rest of the week.
Cleaning off the woodpile, Mammoth style, Feb. 4, 2024.
Video Mammoth Times.
We cover Mammoth Lakes and California's Eastern Sierra. Happily.
