Avalanche
An inbounds avalanche occurred at Mammoth Mountain, California, on Tuesday, March 25. Ski patrollers were immediately on the scene and conducted a thorough search, and thankfully, found nobody had been buried or injured. Mammoth Mountain provided the following statement to SnowBrains:
“At approximately 1:00 p.m. today a natural rockslide triggered an avalanche on the northeast side of the mountain under Starr Chute. Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was on-scene immediately and conducted transceiver, recco, dog, and probe searches which confirmed eye-witness reports that there were no guests or employees in the area at the time of the incident. All search efforts had concluded at 3:47 p.m.”
Just before 1:00 p.m., a natural rockfall came out of the cliffs to the skiers’ right of Starr Chute in the Whitebark bowl area off the top of Chair 23. The rockfall created a dry slab avalanche, gouging out a 20-foot-deep trough and debris field below. As a result, Mammoth closed Chair 23, 9, 12, 14, and the upper panorama gondola.
The avalanche occurred just days after Mammoth Mountain officially announced it would remain open through Memorial Day weekend. This was after the mountain had received more than 10 feet of fresh snow since early February. The resort is reporting a base depth of 8 to 14 feet with more snow in the forecast—prime conditions for spring skiing. The update came via social media, where the resort confirmed the planned closing date of May 26.
An avalanche at Mammoth Mountain caught two ski patrollers on February 14, prompting the resort to close for the day. The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. during routine avalanche mitigation work on Lincoln Mountain, an area known for its steep, challenging terrain. The slide followed a significant Sierra snowstorm, where approximately six feet of snow fell in 36 hours. One patroller was successfully extracted from the scene while the other suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Mammoth Hospital before being airlifted for advanced care, where she sadly passed away as a result of her injuries on Saturday, February 22.
Mammoth Mountain’s ability to stay open late into spring is helped by its high elevation—its summit tops at 11,053 feet—and north-facing terrain that holds snow well into May and beyond. It’s one of the few ski areas in the U.S. that regularly pushes the season this far and often tops national charts for snowfall and open days. This year, the resort has reported more than 260 inches of snowfall at the Main Lodge and well over 300 inches at the summit. After a dry January, February and March delivered a much-needed reset, with storm after storm refilling the upper mountain and building a base that could carry through to summer.
For more information and lift ticket details, visit Mammoth’s website.
Mammoth Mountain Avalanche Additional Photos
