Mammoth Mountain to open Nov. 13, extends early-bird ticket sale

Thinking wintry thoughts during this end-of-summer heat wave? Mammoth Mountain hopes so. The California ski resort plans to open Nov. 13. Until then, it has extended its early-bird sale of discounted lift tickets as low as $67 a day for the upcoming winter season.

Skiers and boarders at Mammoth can lock in dates now and save money when they hit the slopes later. No guarantee what conditions will be like (more on that later), but the buy-now, ski-later tickets can be bought and used through the season’s end.

Here are some examples of early-bird adult ticket prices compared with last year’s. (Mammoth hasn’t yet set ticket prices for 2014-15.)

--Single day ticket costs $76, $23 less;
--Two-day ticket costs $151, $47 less; and
--Three-of-four-day ticket costs $200, $63 less.

The resort also has discounted rates for youth (13 to 18 years old) and seniors (65 to 79 years old).

Now, back to the weather forecast. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have scaled back the odds of a big El Niño occurring between October and January to 60% to 65%. They say it’s likely going to be weaker and bring less water to the drought-stricken state.

Weatherman Rob Guarino, nicknamed the Long Ranger on LiveWeatherBlogs.com, last month predicted this for Mammoth’s upcoming season:

“Mammoth had a good winter last year and with the arrival of El Niño we may see ample snow and many great days on the slopes. It will all come down to the track of the moisture-rich southern Jet Stream and how one storm arrives after another across the region. Look for a slow start to the season but a great ending so enjoy.”