Mammoth Mountain goers enjoy 2nd snowiest January in history

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (KABC) -- Nearly 300 inches of snow has fallen so far this winter season, and at Mammoth Mountain on Monday, skiers and snowboarders were basking in the aftermath of "snowmageddon."

You would think that with the perfect weather, it might be busier at Mammoth on a holiday weekend. After one of the biggest sets of storms in years, it was surprising the lift lines were rather short -- add all of that up and it was a picture-perfect holiday.

Many Southern Californians were planning to come up for the three-day weekend anyway, but last week's massive snow dump made the trip even more exciting.

360 Photo (Click to view in the news app)

At the top of Mammoth Mountain, residents said last week's storm dumped 19 feet of fresh powder, making it the second snowiest January in history.

Giant berms of snow lined the road up to the resort. Some icicles were also spotted several feet long.

"That's what's exciting, it's the first time you see so much snow up here, right? Normally there's no snow until you get to the mountain," said Valencia resident Ken Lew.

As skiers and snowboarders race toward the bottom, they are surrounded on all sides by the snowcapped peaks of the Eastern Sierra -- meaning good news on the ski slopes for the next few weeks, and, hopefully, better news for the drought in the next few months.