2024-25 California Detail

Updated March 1, 2025

Mammoth opened Broadway, Rusty's and Saddle Bowl on snowmaking November 15. 7 inches of snow fell on the opening weekend after a scattered 10 inches during the prior two weeks. Another 11 inches fell Nov. 22-23, opening all groomed runs on chairs 1 and 2 and 3 more runs on chairs 4 and 10. 37 inches of snow Nov. 24-27 opened 90+% of the mountain by Nov. 29. Two weeks of calm and sunny weather firmed many ungroomed surfaces, but they were restored with 19 inches Dec. 12-15. There were 4 more inches before Christmas, and another foot by New Year's. Just 5 inches fell in early January and it was then dry until another 5 inches fell Jan. 25-26. 19 inches of heavy snow fell during the first week of February with considerable rain below Main Lodge. But then it dumped 51.5 inches Feb. 13-15. Spring conditions emerged during the last week of February but winter is expected to return this week.

Southern California snowmaking allowed Snow Summit and Mountain High to each open one top to bottom run Nov. 22. Late November storms mostly missed SoCal and one that made it was all rain. December was unusually warm and dry even by SoCal standards. There was less SoCal ski terrain open at New Year's than in over 40 years. The Santa Ana winds of Jan. 6-7 brought 5 inches snow to the local areas with improved snowmaking since the rest of January. Only by Jan. 24 did the Big Bear areas reach majority operation with 8-12 inches snow and moved past those 40-year lows of open terrain by date. February 5-7 storms were all rain for 3 days. Feb. 13-14 was all snow, ranging from 6 inches at Mt. High to a foot at 8,000+ feet at the other areas. The second February storm opened minimal new terrain but offset some damage from the first storm. SoCal open terrain remains in the worst 10th percentile as of the end of February.

I consider the local areas worth visiting according to the following criteria (2024-25 summary):

Snow Summit: The Wall, Log Chute, Chair 10 and lower Westridge open. Upper Summit Run to lower Miracle Mile and the beginner area opened Nov. 22. Only Upper Miracle Mile was added by Dec. 24 and Summit remained 12% open Dec. 31. 24% open Jan. 10 with chair 3 open, 36% open with chair 7 and Log Chute Jan. 14. 45% with Chair 9 and lower Westridge Jan. 18, 58% with Wall Jan. 25. Chair 10 opened near the end of January but closed with the rain Feb. 5-7. 64% open including Olympic Feb. 15. 61% March 1.

Bear Mt: Silver Mt. and/or Bear Peak open. Opened Park Run Dec. 13. 20% open since Dec. 24, 31% open Jan. 10, 38% Jan. 14, Silver Mt. Jan. 18, 59% with Bear Peak Jan. 25, 62% Feb. 15.

Snow Valley: Slide Peak open. Scheduled opening Nov. 29 was only the beginner area and remained that way until 11% open MLK weekend. 22% open Jan. 31.

Mountain High: East as well as West open. Chisholm and some beginner runs opened Nov. 22. Chisholm closed within a week and reopened about Dec. 20. West was 16% open past New Year's, 25% open Jan. 10, 29% Jan. 18, 32% Jan. 26, 39% Feb. 15, 35% Mar. 1.

Mt. Baldy and Mt. Waterman: A natural snow base of at least 4 feet. Baldy's beginner area opened at the end of January. Fire Road to Bonanza opened Feb. 15 but closed soon.

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