Changeable Snow Continues in USA

6th February 2024 | Rob McAteer, Mammoth Mountain, California.

Last modified on February 8th, 2024

California is seeing the best of the new snow with Colorado not far behind. Winter is back on track, but there’s still a way to go. It’s been a frustrating time. UPDATED

As heavy snow fell across the Alps at altitude in December with records being broken, records were being broke across the Pond too.

It was one of the poorest starts to winter in recent years with some resorts not able to open and others keeping slopes closed.

Record numbers of resorts had snow in scant supply.

Not anymore.

Here’s Jackson Hole in Wyoming:

25″ of fresh in the last 48hrs! We ❤️ atmospheric rivers. #jacksonhole athlete Madison Rose Ostergren dives in for a powder buffet.
When exiting the resort boundaries into the backcountry, always have the proper equipment, a partner, knowledge, and a plan.
📸: @StephenShelesky pic.twitter.com/UYcsX0BCN5
— Jackson Hole (@jhski) February 7, 2024

And Mammoth Mountain in California:

However, even with the fresh snow the snowpack is still at 50% of what is should be for the time of year.

PlanetSKI reader, Rob McAteer, was skiing in Mammoth Mountain in California in the last week of January, before the latest snow arrived.

“Mammoth had been reporting 6ft + of snow in January alone so we were expecting good conditions and hopeful of a few pockets of powder left from the previous weeks snowfall,” said Rob.

“Unfortunately it was soon apparent that this was not going to be the case with temperatures well above freezing.

“As with surfing, skiing can be something of a fickle mistress and in the same way surfers chase swell skiers can only dream of those bluebird powder days.

“In the mornings on my visit the groomed pistes were largely good, but these make us such a small part of the 3,500+ acres of skiable terrain.

“By the afternoon it was much more like spring skiing with lots of soft lumps and bumps but also the occasional rocks showing through.”

Mammoth Mountain, California. Image c/o Rob McAteer.

“Off piste was perhaps made more challenging with the snow conditions, lots of the exposed faces were very icy due to temperature fluctuations and most were very chopped up.

“We found a few fun chutes under the rock formations by Chair 23 that we found ourselves lapping in the afternoon sun.

“We found we had skied a lot of the favourable slopes and terrain by late mornings, had there been more snow there is no doubt we would have been enjoying the copious tree runs through the glades and steep chutes but alas on this visit it wasn’t to be.

“It was hard not to be resentful of those arriving later in the week just in time for a massive storm system which promised almost a metre of fresh snow.

“Locals were quick to tell us stories of last year when there was so much snow the lifts were buried in and the roads impassable.

“Guess you can’t have it all.”

Mammoth Mountain, California. Image c/o Rob McAteer.

We’ll hear more from Rob about his thoughts on skiing in the USA towards the end of this article.

PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, was in Mammoth Mountain last May among the record-breaking amounts of snow.

Mammoth Mountain. Image © PlanetSKI

Elsewhere there has been recent snow in Utah and Colorado, though again the snowpack is down on the seasonal average.

At the weekend the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) said an Avalanche Warning was in place in several areas.

“You can very easily trigger avalanches large enough to bury you and many will release spontaneously,” warned the CAIC.

“Some may break on deeply buried weak layers.”

Mammoth Mountain, California. Image c/o Rob McAteer.

More from Rob about skiing in the USA:

Lift Tickets:

“I have always found American ski resort to be expensive for lift tickets in comparison to European counterparts, especially given there is often much less lift for you pass.

“Mammoth has 25 lifts vs 165 in Portes du Soleil or 85 in St Anton.

“But the major appeal for me of American resorts is the access to off piste terrain within the patrolled ski area, avalanche equipment and education is still essential but challenging terrain can often be skied without the need for a guide.

“We had 4 days planned and it worked out most economical to get the ‘quad pack’ – 4 days lift passes (with no black outs) for $599 (£475) plus tax – god bless America).

“This was vs $249 (£198) a day for individual tickets, although Mammoth seems to operate a surge charging policy and single day tickets range from $169-249 (£134 – £198), plus taxes of course.”

There sometimes special offers available:

Mammoth Mountain, California. Image c/o Rob McAteer.

Lift System

“The infrastructure is very different to what we are used to in Europe.

“Many of the chairs are old with the inevitable stoppages as some unsuspecting beginner is launched off the mounting ramp.

“Some are 3-person or even 2-person which can cause pretty long lines on busier days.

“That said the very calm and friendly queueing experience is quite incredible, almost too polite.

“Europeans take note – if someone was in the queue before you it’s perfectly ok to let them go ahead rather than coming up with a cunning strategy to undercut them and box out half their group at the next bend in the line.”