Mammoth Mountain ski resort receives 9 inches of fresh snow

Skiers and snowboarders just got a golden opportunity at Mammoth Mountain where the resort got another nine inches of fresh snow.

The ski resort opened two weeks early this season due to a "snowy fall," officials say. Three lifts are currently running at the resort, and more will open as more snow falls.

The fast-moving storm packing winds gusting up to 70 mph dumped more than a half-foot of snow on parts of the Sierra and more than an inch of rain at Lake Tahoe before starting to move out of the region early Tuesday.

Seven inches fell on Tahoe's northwest shore at the Palisades Tahoe resort and 4 inches at Mt. Rose near Reno.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.