Covers Mammoth Like The Snow

By Bump Diamond
Man About Town

    I saw Keith Dawley carrying a pair of skis on his bike yesterday, and that's as sure a sign of winter as swallows in Capistrano signal spring.
    Keith has a ridiculous string of consecutive months skied in Mammoth‚Äîover 10 years' worth‚Äîand so when Keith is out with his skis (he was pedaling out of the hospital parking lot, skis in one hand), it must mean skiable snow is coming.
    And sure enough, the National Weather Service issued a forecast today that calls for measurable snow tomorrow‚Äîone to three inches, anyway, at 8,000 feet. The Whiskey Creek corner is 8,000 feet, if you're wondering. Snow levels will drop to 7,500 feet by the time tomorrow night rolls around, the weather service said.
    The weather service is notoriously conservative, by the way. One to three inches could turn into something interesting very quickly.
    In any event, one inch of snow is plenty for Keith, although I'll betcha a dime to a dollar he'd want a leetle more than that.
    Whatever. Here's the forecast:

Rest of today: Mostly cloudy with isolated showers. Snow level 9500 to 10000 feet. Highs 51 to 61. Southwest winds up to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers mainly after midnight. Snow level 9000 feet. Lows 32 to 42. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 35 mph in the evening. Over ridges...gusts up to 45 mph.

Thursday: Rain and snow likely in the morning...scattered showers in the afternoon. Snow level 8000 feet. Snow accumulation 1 to 3 inches above 8000 feet. Highs 48 to 58. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon. Over ridges...gusts up to 45 mph.

Thursday night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow. Snow level 7500 feet. Lows 23 to 33. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph decreasing to up to 10 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening. Over ridges...gusts up to 45 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow. Snow level 7500 feet. Highs 48 to 58. Light winds becoming southwest around 10 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 40 mph over ridges.