With 17 Atmospheric River Storms making landfall in California this season, you can bet this season will make it into the record books for snowfall.


What You Need To Know

  • 17 atmospheric rivers made landfall this season

  • This is the second snowiest season on record at the Central Sierra Snow Lab

  • Mammoth Mountain sets new record for snowfall this season

  • Over 70 feet of snow have fallen at Mammoth’s summit

 

In the Sierra near Lake Tahoe resides the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. That’s the place where the snowpack is measured and monitored to see how much water will flow into the valleys below during the Spring and Summer. It sits at an elevation of 6,894 feet above sea level.

The lab was built in 1946 by the US Weather Bureau and the Army Corps of Engineers. Manual snow pack records have been kept there since 1879, which makes it one of the longest running records in the world. 

(UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab)

With last week’s storm, the current total for this season is 715 inches. That is just shy of 60 feet. This falls short of the 1952/53 season when 812 inches fell. That’s the season that holds the record. 

So, the 2022/23 season is now the 2nd snowiest season on record!

Mammoth Mountain breaks snowfall record

Just about 90 miles south of Lake Tahoe is Mammoth Mountain. This season will go down in the record books as the snowiest season ever there. Previous to this season, the 2010/11 season held the record with 664 inches.

(Mammoth Mountain Instagram)

The Main Lodge sits at an elevation of 8,909 feet above sea level. So far, this season has seen 702 inches of snowfall.

The Summit sits at an elevation 10,053 feet. 879 inches have fallen there. That’s over 70 feet! 

(Mammoth Mountain Instagram)

Typically, the ski season runs into June and it is not uncommon for Mammoth to stay open through the July 4th holiday. This Summer there is talk of Mammoth staying open into August!

Imagine going for a few runs in the morning and then coming down into the Valley and playing 18 holes in the afternoon.

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