Ski resorts extend their seasons into summer months

After this year’s record breaking snowfall, Mammoth announced on March 21 the resort will continue its season into the summer months.

The last time Mammoth stayed open this long was in 2017, when they extended their season into August after getting 617 inches of snow. This year, they topped that with 702 inches, making the 2022-23 season the biggest in their history.

In a statement on their Instagram, Mammoth said, “We are stoked to announce that we will be open daily for skiing and riding until at least the end of July. As always, we do not have a closing date set, but will plan to stay open as long as conditions allow.”

Similarly, Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort will stay open until July 4, weather and conditions permitting.

Skiers like Charlotte Kroll, who is a sophomore electrical and computer engineering major, are eager to celebrate the holiday on the mountain.

KROLL: it’s really, really fun cause a lot of people like to see on 4th of July and it’s just like a big, like celebration because it’s like whoever associate skiing with July. Yeah, so it’s a lot of fun. I personally have not gotten to do it, but it’s always a really fun season for people like to dress up and stuff and it’s like really exciting when you get to ski past even April sometimes.

Kroll is the secretary of USC Ski And Snowboard, an organization that gives about 145 members unlimited access to Mammoth each year.

KROLL: The skiing is never going to be super, super excited about the snow. It definitely comes with its challenges, but I think everybody’s risen to the challenge and we’re really excited for a very good summer.

Although skiers and snowboarders might be excited about the extra chances to go down the slopes, residents and staff have been facing issues due to the extra snowy conditions.

Snow melt and flooding are major concerns, especially for towns along U.S. Highway 395. But Kroll believes that resorts like Mammoth are equipped to handle so much snowfall.

KROLL: so the snow pack usually is pretty extreme. The good thing about mariners, they’ve done a very good job. I mean, you know, when you have a record here, you never know what you’re going to get because it’s so amazing and and like insane how much snow we’ve gotten so far. They’re doing the best they can.

USC Ski And Snowboard offers ikon pass discounts to students through a form found on their Instagram. You can find them at @uscskiandsnowboard.