Storm Totals: Mammoth Reaches 10 Feet of New Snow
During the first 3 weeks of January, Mammoth received 3 inches of snow. Over the past 7 days, it received 119 inches. The area is the undoubted winner of Snowmageddon 2021.
Mammoth added to its snow totals on Thursday as it reached 10 feet of new snow over the past week. Mammoth Lakes is currently sitting on a metaphorical island, with Highway 395 closed for nearly 100 miles leading to the town. As of Friday morning, the highway remains closed with CalTrans hoping to reopen it immediately.
U.S. Highway 395 is still closed from State Route 203 to the Nevada State Line. Caltrans crews have been working through the night and into the morning, continuing to clear snow from the road. They also managed to snap this frosty pic of downtown June Lake.
— Caltrans District 9 (@Caltrans9) January 29, 2021
📸Credit: Joey Conti pic.twitter.com/2Zd9b6Iqz5
With so much snow in the surrounding mountains, Mono County Sheriff discontinued snow removal in avalanche prone areas of June Lake. On Thursday, an avalanche was triggered during routine mitigation operations from the Mammoth Mountain ski patrol, which damaged the closed Canyon Express chairlift.
With no one able to travel to the area, photos of buried cars and walls of snow have been posted to social media from town locals who are experiencing one of their epic winter storms. Once Highway 395 reopens to the public, Mammoth Mountain is expecting heavy crowds. With Covid protocols in place, Mammoth is already sold out on Saturday.
So thankful for friends who are willing to dig your car out of 4 feet of snow for ya… today was wild. 100+ inches of snow expected. pic.twitter.com/e1wD5noCJQ
— Dakota Snider (@dakotasnider) January 28, 2021
Want to know why Mammoth gets so much snow? See the science of snowfall in the Eastern Sierra:
