At Mammoth, 3 feet of snow brings an early opening (Thursday) -- and $50 lift tickets

An omen? A godsend? Describe it as you like, but it’s shaping up to be a November to remember for California ski resorts, at least two of which are opening early after recent storms.

As resort officials always note, there is no marketing campaign as effective as 3 feet of fresh powder.

And they are celebrating with huge discounts on lift tickets.

Mammoth Mountain received nearly 3 feet of snow on higher parts of the mountain in the last couple of days, allowing it to open Thursday, a week ahead of schedule.

Cool temperatures bode well for snow-making operations. To attract skiers and snowboarders, the resort is discounting lift tickets to $50, less than half the usual price.

That’s partly because the resort is not fully open. As of late Tuesday, the resort said Chairs 1 and 3 would be spinning for opening day. More terrain will open as conditions permit, officials said.

How about a $10 lift ticket? That’s what Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe offered Wednesday as it opened after receiving more than a foot of snow.

With a chance of light snow expected to continue and cold temperatures in the long-range forecast, the resort has fired up snowmaking operations.

Open terrain will be limited to one trail accessed by the Flying Jenny Conveyor lift on the Main Lodge side of the resort, which is 25 miles from Reno.

With a base elevation of 8,260 feet, it makes and retains snow at higher levels than many other California resorts.

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