2 Mammoth Mountain ski patrollers caught in avalanche, 1 suffers serious injuries

Two Mammoth Mountain ski patrollers were caught in an avalanche while doing avalanche mitigation work on Friday, the resort said. 

At about 7:30 a.m., before skiing opened, Mammoth Mountain said the two patrollers were performing avalanche mitigation work when an avalanche occurred on Lincoln Mountain. 

One of the patrollers sustained serious injuries and was transported to a hospital outside of the area for further care, according to resort officials. The other ski patroller was being evaluated for possible broken bones. 

This comes after the mountain received more than five feet of snow in about 72 hours. The same system brought relentless winds, rain and heavy snow to other parts of California.

Mammoth Mountain suspended all operations on Friday due to the high avalanche danger. 

According to the resort's website, the mountain is expected to get another 12 to 18 inches of snow on Friday, with wind gusts reaching about 55 mph. 

Mammoth Mountain is California's highest lift-served resort, with a summit at 11,053 feet. It's nestled on the border of Yosemite National Park in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains.

Visit Mammoth describes Lincoln Peak as a volcanic dome northeast of Mammoth Mountain. It features avalanche chutes on the northern face that are remnants of a 500-meter by 350-meter landslide, leaving behind a horseshoe-shaped bowl.