Mammoth Needs Storm to End Historic Dry Spell

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A year after getting 50 feet of snow--no, that's not a typo, 50 feet --the resort is now enduring its driest winter in decades, if not longer. It's been 25 years since the last December without any snow sticking on Mammoth Mountain. Back in 1987, snow finally arrived in January--but in 2012, not yet.

The mountain is relying on snowmaking to keep open a limited number of runs and chairlifts. Mammoth is located in the eastern Sierra some 300 miles north of Los Angeles, and draws most of its devotees from Southern California.

"So far, this winter is the driest on record since the 1800s," wrote Rusty Gregory, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area CEO, in a memo to employees. Gregory wanted to assure them that Mammoth would not be cutting back on services to cut expenses. For seasonal workers for whom there is no work, the resort is offering a free dinner every night.

Since the year-end holidays, the number of skiers and boarders has dropped 30%, according to Joani Lynch, Mammoth's communications director.

"We're hoping for natural snow, and until then, making the most of what we have," Lynch said. "People come to ski. But also spend money in town."

The Giunta family traveled all the way from Sydney, Australia, the last leg on a Horizon flight from LAX to the Mammoth Lakes airport. The town subsidizes commercial airliner service in an ongoing effort to become more of a destination resort.

"We knew it was manmade, but we didn't realize it was all manmade," said ski enthusiast Marie Giunta.

Mammoth is offering some remarkable package deals, including airfare, lift ticket and lodging for a discounted $139 per person, per night..

Making matters even more challenging was a New Year's warm spell that sent temperatures soaring into the 50's, before cooling to more seasonal levels this week.

"When you can't get snow, you hope for cold," observed Clifford Mann, Mammoth's Outside Area Manager, who has the challenge of keeping the runs skiable and ride-able, using both snowmaking and grooming.

In shaded pockets on the flanks of the 11,053 foot tall dormant volcano, there is some deep snow to be found--remnants of last winter that, ala glaciers, survived the summer.

"It's amazing how much coverage there is, considering it's all man-made," said Gene Price, a Laguna Niguel retiree.

Price has a season pass. He might have waited for new snow, but said Gregory's memo persuaded him to give the mountain--and its employees--some business.

It is Mammoth lore that the ski area's founder, the legendary Dave McCoy, selected the area because it gets more snow from passing storms than almost any other location in the Sierra.

Even looking up from Lone Pine toward Mount Whitney--at 14,497 feet, the highest peak in the continental U-S and 80 miles south of Mammoth--there is hardly any snow to be seen.

The Sierra Nevada long ago was named for its snow, and California still relies on its melting snowpack for the largest share of its water. Fortunately, most of the state's major reservoirs are still filled to near capacity from last winter's above average snowfall.

But all is not lost for this winter. A system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, and perhaps bring snow through the weekend.

A good snowfall would bring out enthusiasts who've been patient, and for shopkeepers, the usually lucrative Presidents' Holiday three day weekend holds promise.

"I hope so," said Tony Colasardo, co-owner of Footloose Sports. Noting it's been dry not only for the Sierra, but for most of the western mountains, even in Utah and Colorado, Colasardo sees "pent-up demand."

There's high hope for an end to the dry spell, but also recognition of who's the boss.

Said Mann, the Mammoth chief of snowmaking and grooming: "Mother Nature reminds us all the time she's really in charge."