First snow of the season in Utah
Callista Pearson in the snowfall. Photo: Jared Hargrave
It is a time of celebration for some people in Utah, as the first real snowfall of the season has hit the Salt Lake Valley. The mountains have been pounded a few times already, but it just doesn’t feel like winter until there’s snow on the ground in the backyard.
The leaves that still need to be raked, the swamp cooler that has to be covered, and the sandbags that need to be tossed into the back of the pickup are suddenly priority chores when the sight of the first flakes come dancing from the clouds. Of course, thoughts also begin to turn to the Wasatch as we gaze at the gray line of lake-effect clouds that hover over the valley, speeding across the sky for a date with the Cottonwood Canyons.
The Salt Lake Sheriff’s Office is already requiring 4×4 or chains on the roads leading to Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton. Ski resort snow cams are periodically checked by those of us living in the valley. The view from the Alta Lift cameras showing white everywhere is reason enough to feel joy. The next step is to simply get up there and ski it, which, undoubtedly, people will be doing when they seek out early-season turns.
That first snowfall is what reminds us why we love winter, and those delicious flakes are confirmation that our favorite season is actually here. Finally.
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