TL;DR
Mammoth got its first snow of 2026-27 on Monday 28 September - and promptly lost it by Tuesday morning. Barely an inch fell at McCoy Station, but with opening day pencilled in for Friday 13 November, it's the first sign the Sierra is waking up. Last year's date slipped from 14 November to 20 November, so nobody's booking flights on a dusting just yet. Here's where California's early openers stand.
The first snow of the 2026-27 season has dusted Mammoth Mountain, with opening day still around six weeks away.
California's Mammoth Mountain recorded its first snowfall of the new season on Monday 28 September, when a light covering fell at McCoy Station. The resort is still planning to open on Friday 13 November.
The snow was modest. It fell only at higher elevations and totalled no more than an inch. Mammoth shared video from McCoy Station, which sits at 2,853 metres (9,360 feet), but by Tuesday morning the snow had melted and the summit showed no trace of it.
Opening Day Is About Six Weeks Away
If 13 November holds, Mammoth will be the first California resort to open, a week ahead of Heavenly and Northstar, which are scheduled to start on 20 November. Palisades Tahoe is targeting Wednesday 25 November.
