Snowfall Back in Southland With a Flurry

Skiing’s second season has arrived in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains.

After struggling with erratic snowfall, warm temperatures and rain that forced closures last week, Southland ski areas are back in business, all white and fluffy with powder.

Six resorts are in virtually full operation:

--At Big Bear Lake, where daytime temperatures were in the 20s Tuesday, Snow Summit reported 14 inches of new snow on a 14- to 36-inch base, with 11 lifts running, and Bear Mountain said it had picked up a fresh 20 to 26 inches atop a base that had ranged up to 23 inches, with seven lifts going. Both have also been making snow constantly since the weekend.

--Snow Valley, west of Big Bear, is in similar shape after receiving 24 inches of additional snow, with six lifts serving most of the runs, including Slide Peak and the backcountry.

--Near Wrightwood, Mountain High topped off its snowpack with another 12 inches Monday, and Ski Sunrise is now 70% open.

--Mt. Baldy added 18 inches Sunday for a total of nearly 36 inches and is operating all lifts.

Snowcrest, formerly Kratka Ridge, is open for snowboard riders and beginning skiers only, but nearby Mt. Waterman said it needs another six to 12 inches of snow before getting under way.

The Sierra, from Mammoth Mountain to points north, is even snowier, and there should be no problem keeping the season going through Easter, April 7, or beyond.

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Now that Alberto Tomba has few skiing worlds left to conquer, he is reportedly planning to come to the United States this spring to explore several possible ventures, including a film career.

The flamboyant Italian, who won two gold medals in the just-concluded World Alpine Skiing Championships at Sierra Nevada, Spain, has already made one U.S. connection, signing on as Vail’s part-time resident “ambassador.” Chairman George Gillett said Tomba will make the Colorado resort his North American training site, while maintaining his European base at Sestriere, Italy.

Sestriere will hold next year’s world championships, after which Tomba, who will then be 30, is expected to retire from racing. Vail will stage the 1999 world championships.

With Tomba the major contributor, the Italian team left Sierra Nevada with five medals--four gold and one silver--from the 10 events. The Swiss also took home five, but none was gold, and the Austrians and Norwegians each had four, including one gold apiece.

Now, it’s back to the World Cup circuit for two more weeks. The women will race in a downhill and a giant slalom at Narvik, Norway, Friday and Saturday; the men are at Nagano, Japan, Saturday and Sunday for a downhill and a super-giant slalom on the courses to be used in the 1998 Winter Olympics.

Then the men and women will compete in the finals at Lillehammer, Norway, March 4-10.

Skiing Notes

Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain will play host to the Bud Light Pro Snowboard Tour Friday through Sunday. . . . Bob Beattie will wind up his 10th season of weekly shows with “The Best of Ski World” on ESPN next Tuesday at 10 p.m. . . . The Freestyle World Cup action is at Lillehammer, Norway, this weekend. . . . The World Junior Alpine Championships continue through Sunday at Schwyz, Switzerland.