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Mammoth Mountain Cancels Pond Skim, but Heavy Snow Is in the Forecast

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Apr 10, 2026 3:17 PM ET

It’s a sign of the times.

The eagerly anticipated pond skim at Mammoth Mountain, California, won’t happen this season because of “current conditions,” according to the ski resort’s website.

By “current conditions,” it’s safe to assume Mammoth Mountain means a lack of snow. From California to Colorado, ski resorts have had a tough and unusually hot go at it this spring.

Still, there’s hope for powder before the season wraps up.

A winter storm warning is in effect for Mammoth Mountain this weekend, with snow totals ranging from six to 24 inches, depending on the elevation, according to the National Weather Service. OpenSnow pegged the five-day total at 22 inches. You shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch, obviously, but this might be the last time to score fresh snow before lift-accessed skiing wraps up.

“We are not giving up on this season, and neither is the 10-day forecast,” Mammoth Mountain wrote in a social media post, nodding to the promise of more snow.

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Mammoth Mountain has a reputation for being a spring skiing hotspot. A winter like this is, of course, a test for that proposition. Just look at how few ski resorts in California remain open.

For now, though, Mammoth Mountain is chugging ahead, with a list of events to distract from the pond skim’s absence, including a wrap party for Canyon Lodge après this weekend. As of Friday, 16 lifts were spinning at the ski resort, alongside more than 100 open runs.

Elsewhere in California, Palisades Tahoe and Kirkwood are hanging on. They, too, have snow in the forecast.

While the start of the end of this season came up quickly, we’d argue that it’s still worth getting after it as long as the snow lasts.

The last thing you want is for August to arrive only to be haunted by those days you missed. Memories of snow are the only thing that gets skiers through the long, hot summer.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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