This weekend marks the opening of the ski season at Mammoth Mountain in California, one week sooner than anticipated. The attraction is located west of San Francisco and south of Yosemite National Park.
A representative of the mountain told reporters that it will officially open its slopes on November 5. The original plan was to welcome visitors on November 11, but a snowfall allowed the date to be moved up.
“Thanks to the hard work of the Mammoth Mountain operations team and a little extra love from Mother Nature in the form of cold temps and 8 inches of new snow, Mammoth will be opening for the season a week early, this Saturday, November 5,” Lauren Burke, a spokesperson for Mammoth Mountain, told reporters. “Snowmaking will continue around the clock as conditions allow.”
The mountain anticipates operating two to three lifts with access to two or three lines and a tiny Unbound Terrain Park on opening day. There won’t be any beginner terrain accessible at first.
Another “significant storm” is predicted for Sunday through the beginning of the following week, Burke added, and things are looking good for the following week. According to Weather.com, the region will receive 6 to 11 inches of snow on Sunday, followed by another 10 to 16 inches on Monday and 11 to 17 inches on Tuesday.
Mammoth Mountain has previously opened early. Last year, the ski area opened in October due to another load of fresh snow. Ikon Pass, which now connects more than 50 resorts, includes Mammoth Mountain.
In addition to Mammoth, other Ikon Pass ski areas, including Banff Sunshine in Canada, which opened Thursday, and Winter Park in Colorado, which opened Monday, have also opened for the current ski season.