Super Storm Dumps up To Five Feet of Snow on US West
A major snowstorm that hit the West Coast of America between Sunday and Tuesday has led to accumulations of up to five feet (1.5 metres) of snow on ski slopes in California.
It’s a massive change after the region was impacted by a six-week warm and dry spell following an unusually heavy late October snowstorm.
Many of the resorts that had had to postpone opening for several weeks due to too little snow are now scrambling to open after too much arrived too fast.
Mammoth Mountain has managed to stay open throughout the dry spell after opening early in late October. It reported snow drifts reaching the top of its 24 foot (8 metres) high main signpost at the top of the mountain. The new snow there brings the season snow total 92 inches at Main Lodge and 127 inches at the Summit.
It was among a number of areas that had to close for periods during the storm which also brough gale force winds and blizzard conditions as well as high avalanche danger.
The Palisades reported the latest issue this morning was a power outage. However, despite having to close again for lack of snow for much of November after opening early in October, it reports it has now received 113 inches of snow this autumn – double the amount than this time last year (56 inches).
Resorts opening in the next few days are Homewood Mountain Resort today and Diamond Peak tomorrow.
The volumes of snow means resorts need to dig out lifts and access roads and make slopes avalanche safe before they can open. Most that were open prior to the storm’s arrival at the weekend were closed over the past few days due to blizzard conditions and dangerous amounts of snow.
Other parts of the US have also been reporting an improvement in conditions with resorts further north on the Pacific coast in Oregon and Washington State also receiving enough snow to open. In The Rockies snowbird in Utah reported over a foot of snow overnight and the I 70 into The Rockies from Denver was closed by snow on Wednesday morning. Denver had been reporting its driest ever and latest ever snowfall until now.
The forecast for the next week or so up to Christmas is for a return to sunny, calm weather so it is looking promising now for the peak Holiday season.
