Atmospheric River to Dump Up to 20 Feet of Snow at Mammoth, Forecasters Say

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA -- The same weather pattern that is bringing rain to Los Angeles County is also expected to bring snow -- and a lot of it -- to Southern California ski resorts.

The atmospheric river, a long narrow band of moisture in the atmosphere, that is dumping rain in the Southland is expected to bring as much as 20 feet of snow to Mammoth Mountain, the Los Angeles Times reported.

As much as 48 inches of snow has fallen in some parts of the summit. Crews are working hard to keep the roads clear, the Times reported.

An atmospheric river carries as much as 20 times the water the Mississippi River dumps into the Gulf of Mexico each year, experts say.

During California’s rainy season, 20 percent of that atmospheric river -- which appears as water vapor, not liquid -- turns into rain over our region.

As the rain clears out Thursday night, another unpredictable storm is coming in. Three of those storms are expected to hit the Sierra Mountains this week and next, according to the National Weather Service.

“They say we could get up to 20 feet,” Mammoth Lakes resident Cynthia Hayes said to the Times. “God help us.”

Local ski resorts, such as Mount Baldy, and in the San Bernardino Mountains are hoping the weather will be cold enough for some fresh powder, the Times reported.

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