SierraDescents | Category | Current Conditions
January 5, 2023
Happy New Year!
The weather pipeline continues for California, bringing some truly spectacular storms this past week. Mammoth is currently reporting a 158" base at McCoy Station—with much (more)
December 26, 2022
Mammoth Christmas
Following an unseasonably warm and dry Christmas weekend, we have an impressive storm on the way. Expect at least modest snowfall in the SoCal mountains, and heavy snow and rain (more)
November 13, 2022
November Snow
Thanks to a very intense November storm, I am happy to report we have snowy mountains on our horizon. Portions of the San Gabriels saw some six to eight inches of water last (more)
March 23, 2022
Kratka Ridge
Here is the base of lost SoCal ski area Kratka Ridge (a.k.a. Snowcrest) as seen yesterday off Highway 2 in the San Gabriel Mountains. Yes, there is still a bit of snow up there, (more)
December 19, 2021
Waterman & Highway 2
I would like to wholeheartedly endorse the Waterman-Buckhorn-Highway 2 area as Southern California's best go-to and introductory backcountry skiing zone—but I can't. The (more)
December 15, 2021
December Snow
As increasingly seems to be the case, snow levels stayed relatively high over the past 48 hours. Mount Baldy says 2-3 inches of snow at the parking lot (elevation 6400'); 14" at (more)
December 13, 2021
It’s Coming
Our mostly bare mountains are about to get the insta-winter treatment. Big Pacific Storm coming—forecast calls for up to four feet of snow at the highest SoCal (more)
October 22, 2021
In All Things: Extremes
The first major winter storm is upon us, and it looks to be a doozy. While expected to come in warm at first, some forecast models are predicting as much as 100 inches of snow in (more)
August 21, 2021
The Smoke Season
In summer we used to worry about thunderstorms and permits. Now we worry about smoke. Climate change is transforming the Sierra hiking and climbing season into a dystopia of (more)
April 18, 2021
Closing Day
Snow Valley spun its lifts for the last time for the 2020-2021 season today, making them (by a week) the longest-running SoCal resort this winter. Has that ever happened (more)
