Eight feet of new snow at Mammoth Mountain is a boon to skiers, but despite the heavy snowfall, the snowpack at Mammoth Pass remains below normal for this time of year.
According to the latest numbers from the LADWP, as of Friday the snowpack at Mammoth Pass was listed at 19.3 of water. This is 80% of normal to date for Mammoth.
Forecasters have noted the southern track of the most recent round of storms that hit southern California with more severe weather. This appears to be the case with the snowpack in the Eastern Sierra.
While Mammoth Pass checks in at 80% of normal, Rock Creek, South Lake, and Big Pine Creek are all at or above 100% of normal for this time of year. At the southern end of the Sierra, the snowpack at the Cottonwood Lakes registers at 186% of normal to date. All of these sites usually receive less snow than Mammoth Pass. The 13.2 inches of water content on the ground at Cottonwood Lakes, for example, is already at 100% of normal for the entire season. The seasonal normal for Mammoth Pass is over 40 inches of water.
When it comes to rainfall, the Owens Valley is far ahead of normal for this time of year. With 3.76 inches of rain so far, Bishop is listed at 136% of normal for the year. 3.94 inches of rain has fallen in Independence, which sits at 163% of normal. Big Pine has received just under 7 inches of rain this season, which is listed at 164% of normal.
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