Yesterday, August 6, 2023, marked Mammoth Mountain‘s closing day for the 2022/23 ski season. This may be quite surprising to those of you who haven’t been paying attention, but a majority of readers probably already knew this. With an early opening on November 5 (rather than the planned November 11) and a closing date of August 6, Mammoth has officially closed out a 275 day season, their second longest ever.
According to NPR, Mammoth Mountain breached its season snow total record on March 30, with a storm that pushed the total over 700 inches. The season’s final tally reached 715″. For reference, the 2021/22 season reached just 260″, and the second deepest season ever, the 2010/11 season, reached just 668.5″.
Snowfall History at Mammoth Mountain
Last season, Mammoth Mountain’s deepest month was December, with 161″ touching down. This year, December brought just 116″, but November brought 61″, January brought 220″, February brought 113″, and March brought 192″. The enormous 220″ of snow that fell in the first month of the year made it the second snowiest January on record, with the 2016/17 season seeing a massive 245.5″.
“The real heroes here are the people who put the time into opening the lifts every day; it was a herculean effort. When you think of what goes into opening a mountain with that kind of snow, it’s hard to wrap your mind around.” – Mammoth Mountain spokesperson Tim LeRoy
August 6 Closing Date At Mammoth
The resort initially announced plans to close in late July, but the mountain held snow through the spring and early summer unusually well. On June 21, Mammoth Mountain still had a 70″ snowpack at the base, and skiing and snowboarding was available top to bottom. On July 20, Mammoth announced that they had pushed the closing date back to August 6, officially creating the second longest season in resort history.
Mammoth Mountain’s 2023/24 season is scheduled to begin on November 10, just 96 days after its closing date.
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Image Credit: Mammoth Mountain via Facebook