Now that we have made it to December, skiers and snowboarders should be flocking to our local mountains to hit the slopes. But with a lack of snow, that has not been the case.
Since Thanksgiving, thanks to some chilly nights (32 degrees or below) and low humidity, local resorts have made artificial snow.
Luckily, we have two chances for snow in the forecast over the next week that should make a big difference for our mountain communities.
As of Dec. 3, Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are now open to the public. The original opening day was slated for Nov. 19 but was pushed back due to limited snow.
Over the last three years, the resort opened in mid-to-late November. The last time the resort opened in December for winter activities was in 2017, which was also a dismal snow season with only 39 inches of natural snowfall.
For the last six seasons, the resort has stayed open through mid-April, except for 2020 when the resort closed in mid-March due to the pandemic. Most years, guests can enjoy about 120 to 150 days on the slopes.
While there has not been any natural snow yet, the resort has been working hard over the last two weeks to make enough manmade snow to cover some terrain.
However, they have only been able to open seven trails, four at Bear Mountain and three at Snow Summit.
When fully functioning, there are about 58 trails between the two mountains.
All open trails right now are either beginner or intermediate runs.
Snow Valley has yet to announce an opening date, as they plan to open “when quality conditions allow,” according to Kevin A. Somes, the resort vice president and general manager.
In the meantime, they have also been making snow in preparation for opening day. This year, they have expanded their snowmaking system and have made snow every chance they get when the weather cooperates.
To compare, last year, Snow Valley opened in mid-November, but they opened in December three years prior.
Mountain High recently opened to the public, but with only one trail and one lift available. It is a beginner-level run, with no intermediate or advanced runs open yet.
The resort has also been making snow since the last weekend of November.
So far, all these Southern California resorts have been producing manmade snow as a base.
Meanwhile, we have been waiting patiently for Mother Nature to bring us some natural snow, which will finally arrive soon. There's not only one chance, but two chances for fresh powder.
The first system moves in Wednesday night into Thursday and will initially bring rainfall. Once the colder air filters in Thursday morning and afternoon, the rain will switch over to a wintry mix, ultimately turning to snow showers.
It does not look like a significant amount of snow with this first system, but anything is better than nothing after the dry and warmer weather we have been dealing with recently. We could be looking at anywhere from a dusting to about three to four inches of snow above 5,000 feet.
Snow showers will begin to taper off late Thursday into Friday morning, with dry conditions for the weekend ahead.
Our temperatures in the mountains will also be chilly Friday through the weekend, especially during the overnight hours. This also allows resorts to make more snow using their machines.
That’s not the end of it, though - the pattern is now starting to shift to more winter weather. We’ll welcome another winter-like storm early next week.
Right now, this one looks much more impressive with significant rain and snow totals. However, it’s still several days away, and the outlook could shift between now and then.
As of now, we have the potential to pick up one to two feet of snow across some of our mountain resorts.
Winter activities at SoCal mountain resorts usually run through April, but it depends on how active the winter months are and what the snow conditions look like heading into spring.
For now, we’ll do our snow dance and hope for a lot more fresh powder over the four months ahead. That way, skiers and snowboarders will keep coming back for winter fun on the slopes.