It’s definitely going to be a white Christmas for Mammoth Mountain.
At least 4 feet of fresh powder has already fallen at the resort as of Friday afternoon, the result of a series of storms in the region that continues to dump flakes across the Sierra Nevada.
As much as 5 to 9 inches of new snow is possible during the daytime Friday, according to the resort.
With flakes continuing to fall in the area, officials think the system could bring snowfall totals of up to 8 feet at Mammoth by the time it clears up following the long holiday weekend.
With 105 inches recorded in December, the mountain will surpass its highest monthly snowfall total from last season — an impressive 108 inches in January.
The downside of all that fresh powder is the instability it’s caused in the snowpack, something that is bringing “very high” avalanche danger to the Eastern Sierra, a Mammoth spokesperson said in an email.
For those headed to Mammoth Mountain in the near future, all lifts, trails and lodges have been opened — though skiers and snowboarders might encounter potential weather holds and delays due to crews working to open terrain safely amid the winter conditions, the email stated.
Anyone traveling to the resort is urged to keep tabs on the latest road conditions by checking Caltrans’ website.