Skiers hit slopes in short-shorts on July 4th as California's endless winter endures

After its third-snowiest season on record, Squaw Valley still had slopes open for skiing on July 4, 2019. After its third-snowiest season on record, Squaw Valley still had slopes open for skiing on July 4, 2019. Photo: Courtesy Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Photo: Courtesy Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Skiers hit slopes in short-shorts on July 4th as California's endless winter endures 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Skiing... on the Fourth of July?

Yes, after a near-record winter, California's Sierra Nevada is still coated in snow at higher elevations. Squaw Valley and Mammoth ski resorts ran lifts Thursday morning.

Skiers zipped down slopes wearing shorts, T-shirts, and even bikini tops. The snow is far from perfect, with dirt patches showing, but there is still enough to get a decent ride.

Squaw Valley in the Tahoe Basin saw its third-snowiest season on record in 2018-19, receiving nearly 60 feet since last fall. This season was only 9 inches under the recent 2016-17 season when the resort also stayed open through July 4.

"We are now in our eighth month of skiing and riding, and because of the early start we got this year we actually operated 12 days longer than we did in 2016-17," Squaw spokesperson Liesl Hepburn said.

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Squaw will remain open through July 7, and Mammoth plans to welcome skiers on its slopes into August, something the resort has done only two other times.

"About as good as it gets in July with a base of more than four and a half feet at the summit," Lauren Burke, a spokesperson for Mammoth Mountain, wrote in an email. "Still six lifts spinning with access to 15 runs. Conditions are best early morning, and our hours are adjusted accordingly. Hop on the lifts when they open at 7:30 a.m. and you can get some really soft consistent turns."

A nonstop parade of storms barreled across the Sierra Nevada in winter. Then, spring hit and winter weather persisted with unseasonably cold systems piling up snow all the way through Memorial Day weekend. As a result, the snow pack is hefty for this time of year. In the northern Sierra and Tahoe Basin, it's 108 percent of average as of July 1. The Central Sierra, where Mammoth is located, is 73 percent of average.