With Southern California snowfall unpredictable and often scant, Bear Mountain’s seasonal opening in November depended heavily on snowmaking. (Christopher Reynolds / LAT)
Management typically puts snowmaking machinery in motion when “wet-bulb” temperature -- a combination of temperature and humidity -- falls below 28 degrees. (Christopher Reynolds / LAT)
On an early December morning at Bear Mountain, most of the snow is manmade. (Christopher Reynolds / LAT)
Under a bright morning sun, snowmakers at Bear Mountain near the end of a shift. (Christopher Reynolds / LAT)
Snowmakers at Bear Mountain adjust the high-pressure guns that cover the resort’s slopes. (Christopher Reynolds / LAT)
