After six weeks of warm, dry weather, winter has returned to the Mono Basin with a vengeance. The storm started late Tuesday night and continued through most of Wednesday, accompanied by fierce winds and leading to road closures and chain controls throughout the region. The biggest dose of snow came Friday night, delivering 16 inches of light, fluffy powder in just a few hours. Local ski areas are reporting 76 to 92 inches of snow, just in time to cater to Presidents Day Weekend visitors.

This week the sun is shining and the storm’s aftermath is revealed: acres of blinding white surrounding a bowl of deep Pacific blue. Although the temperature remains well below freezing, now is the perfect time to head out with skis or snowshoes and enjoy the particular beauty of a high desert winter.

The forecast is clear for the next few days with a chance for more wintry weather toward the end of the week. Here at the Committee our fingers are crossed for another big storm — after all, more snow means more water for Mono Lake!

A corner of Mono Lake's northwestern shore. Photo by Julia Runcie

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 at 12:51 pm and is filed under News, Seasonal Update. You can view No Responses on this post or leave your own response if you log in.