Mt. Baldy averages about 14 feet of snow per season but with extreme volatility. 8% of winter months see 90 inches or more but over 1/3 of months get less than a foot of snow. The Southern California mountains get occasional rain, but only about 1/4 as often as ski areas in eastern North America. Mt. Baldy has exceptional steep tree skiing after major snowfalls. Snowmaking can cover only about 15% of acreage.

Accumulation and Preservation

In the worst 1/3 of seasons Mt. Baldy is never as much as half open, while in the best 1/4 of seasons most of the steep and varied terrain is open for over 2 months. The steeper terrain on Thunder Mt. has the best snow preservation in Southern California but the other half of Mt. Baldy gets a lot of sun and will melt/freeze swiftly in warm weather. Skiing extends to at least late April in the top 1/4 of seasons.