Californian Resort Reports 7 Feet Of Snowfall in 6 Days
Californian Resort Reports 7 Feet Of Snowfall in 6 Days
Published : 08-Feb-2024 03:26
A huge snowstorm that has hit America's Pacific Coast over the last seven days has brought torrential rain and flooding to some low lying areas, but heavy snowfall to the region's ski areas.
Mammoth Mountain was one of the big winners, reporting 7 feet (2.1m) of snowfall in six days.
"Our base depth has been growing by the day as snow continues to fall on and off with the forecast finally calling for clearing this Thursday," a resort spokesperson said.
All the snow has come as something of a surprise because the region has been suffering mostly dry and warmer than average weather thanks to a strong El Nino system off The Pacific Ocean. However it appears that another weather staple of the area, a strong air current nicknamed 'the Pineapple express" from the tropics has brought in a lot of moisture just as air is cold enough, at altitude, for it to fall as snow.
Although Californian areas posted the most snowfall, in land there's been plenty of snow for the Rockies from Taos in New Mexico in the south posting 75cm of snowfall in 48 hours to Jackson Hole in the north in Wyoming adding 2 feet (60cm) to its base depth this week.
The past week's snowfall at Mammoth equaled its January snowfall total, both exceeding the very little snowfall in November and December.
Despite the good news of the snowfall, conditions continue to be mixed across North America, with ski areas as far north as Alberta and BC reporting rain and above freezing temperatures to high altitudes at the end of last week, although it is now cooler with snow rather than rain falling. On the East coast ski areas in New England and Quebec continue to see periods of rain between cold periods too.
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