Snow California

A storm swept across the Sierra on Wednesday, blanketing the historic ghost town of Bodie, Calif., with 1 1/2 feet of snow that piled up at a rate of one inch an hour. Accumulations of more than six inches were common elsewhere. The heaviest snow fell in the Mammoth Lakes area, where the storm was centered, but rain left 0.5 of an inch of moisture in McDermitt, on the Oregon border, and 0.4 of an inch in Tonopah.

A winter storm dumped rain and snow across the state, offering skiers and snowboarders from Southern California some of the best conditions so far in an unusually dry season and raising the possibility of flash floods in areas burned by recent wildfires. The snowfall coincided with Presidents Day weekend, which rivals Thanksgiving and Christmas as one of the busiest weekends for ski resorts.

Weather forecasters said Monday that a powerful storm system similar to the March "miracles" that helped ease drought conditions is heading toward California and will bring heavy rain and snow to critical watersheds by week's end. "I hope it materializes as strongly as (meteorologists) seem to think it will," said Maurice D.

Schussers and snowboarders can come in from the cold this season at several new places in Western ski resorts. Among them: Marriott's Timber Lodge and Marriott's Grand Residence Club in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., both near the gondola that takes skiers to Heavenly Ski Resort. The Timber Lodge is a traditional time- share, and the Residence Club offers "fractional ownership," but both of the recently opened accommodations also offer single-night lodgings.

A drenching Arctic storm swept through drought-threatened California Saturday, bringing rare snowfall to northern beaches, blizzard warnings from the Tehachapis to San Diego County and power outages to thousands of homes. At least five weather-related traffic fatalities were recorded in Los Angeles and Orange counties. A pilot from Rolling Hills Estates walked away from the wreckage of his single-engine plane when it crashed in rain and fog in Santa Barbara County.

The first big storm of the fall swept across drought-plagued Northern California on Thursday and was expected to drop as much as a foot of snow in many parts of the Sierra Nevada. "It's dumping right here in Tahoe City," said Patti DeRyke, manager of the Bridgetender restaurant on Lake Tahoe's north shore. "We're really excited. We're hoping this foretells a great winter."

After two winters of skimpy storms and warm temperatures, ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada are celebrating heavy snow and hordes of returning skiers. From Mammoth Mountain north to Donner Pass, ski resort operators say the slopes and cross-country trails are covered by a snow pack 8 to 10 feet deep. In Yosemite Valley--where temperatures are usually warmer and snow melts quickly--rangers report 18 inches. "It's beautiful," said Yosemite National Park Supt. Jack Morehead.

Schussers and snowboarders can come in from the cold this season at several new places in Western ski resorts. Among them: Marriott's Timber Lodge and Marriott's Grand Residence Club in South Lake Tahoe, Calif., both near the gondola that takes skiers to Heavenly Ski Resort. The Timber Lodge is a traditional time- share, and the Residence Club offers "fractional ownership," but both of the recently opened accommodations also offer single-night lodgings.

A winter storm dumped rain and snow across the state, offering skiers and snowboarders from Southern California some of the best conditions so far in an unusually dry season and raising the possibility of flash floods in areas burned by recent wildfires. The snowfall coincided with Presidents Day weekend, which rivals Thanksgiving and Christmas as one of the busiest weekends for ski resorts.

The HighSierra town of Mammoth Lakes said Monday that it filed for bankruptcy because it cannot afford to pay a $43-million breach-of-contract judgment in a lawsuit brought against it by a developer. In a prepared statement, Mammoth Lakes officials said "bankruptcy, unfortunately, is the only option left" for the town, whose largest creditor, Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition, had won a state court order requiring full payment by June 30, 2012. Facing a judgment nearly three times the size of its annual operating budget and a $2.8-million shortfall in its 2011-12 fiscal year, the town had already cut many services and asked employees to take reductions in pay. Compounding problems, the adjacent Mammoth Mountain ski resort was forced to lay off 70 full-time employees last year because of a dearth of snow.

A storm swept across the Sierra on Wednesday, blanketing the historic ghost town of Bodie, Calif., with 1 1/2 feet of snow that piled up at a rate of one inch an hour. Accumulations of more than six inches were common elsewhere. The heaviest snow fell in the Mammoth Lakes area, where the storm was centered, but rain left 0.5 of an inch of moisture in McDermitt, on the Oregon border, and 0.4 of an inch in Tonopah.

The first big storm of the fall swept across drought-plagued Northern California on Thursday and was expected to drop as much as a foot of snow in many parts of the Sierra Nevada. "It's dumping right here in Tahoe City," said Patti DeRyke, manager of the Bridgetender restaurant on Lake Tahoe's north shore. "We're really excited. We're hoping this foretells a great winter."

Weather forecasters said Monday that a powerful storm system similar to the March "miracles" that helped ease drought conditions is heading toward California and will bring heavy rain and snow to critical watersheds by week's end. "I hope it materializes as strongly as (meteorologists) seem to think it will," said Maurice D.

A drenching Arctic storm swept through drought-threatened California Saturday, bringing rare snowfall to northern beaches, blizzard warnings from the Tehachapis to San Diego County and power outages to thousands of homes. At least five weather-related traffic fatalities were recorded in Los Angeles and Orange counties. A pilot from Rolling Hills Estates walked away from the wreckage of his single-engine plane when it crashed in rain and fog in Santa Barbara County.

After two winters of skimpy storms and warm temperatures, ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada are celebrating heavy snow and hordes of returning skiers. From Mammoth Mountain north to Donner Pass, ski resort operators say the slopes and cross-country trails are covered by a snow pack 8 to 10 feet deep. In Yosemite Valley--where temperatures are usually warmer and snow melts quickly--rangers report 18 inches. "It's beautiful," said Yosemite National Park Supt. Jack Morehead.

A blustery winter storm is rolling in for the long weekend, with wind, rain and snow expected overnight tonight through Presidents Day. There is a 60% chance of precipitation after midnight, lasting until Monday night, with temperatures dipping to the mid-40s and winds reaching at least 25 mph, said Bill Hoffer, a spokesman with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. With as much as 3 inches of rain predicted for the coast and more in the foothills, flash flooding is a concern in burn areas, Hoffer said.

For 2013, the Wanderlust Festival will abandon the mountains and snow of California's Squaw Valley for the sand and surf of Oahu 's Turtle Bay Resort .  The festival, which runs Feb. 28-March 3, blends yoga with great food and wine in what's billed as a one-of-a-kind festival inspired by nature's beauty. “It's always been a dream to bring [the gathering] to the beach," co-founder Jeff Krasno said in a news release. "Wanderlust Oahu will be unlike any other festival we've thrown.