Winter of 2012 finally arrives in the Wasatch… in March
Utahns rejoice, because the Wasatch finally got the big winter storm that has been sorely lacking this season. Sure, we were teased with a bit of spring when temperatures reach 70 degrees in the Salt Lake Valley, but we all know snow never loses its grip on Utah for long in March. But for skiers and snowboarders, this storm of the year came way too late, and not soon enough.
It was deep powder skiing at Brighton Resort on March 20th. (Photo: Chris Pearson - Ski Utah)
From Sunday, March 18th through Monday the 19th, ski resorts in the Cottonwood Canyons have reported 24-36 inches of new powder snow. It’s the kind of massive “The Greatest Snow on Earth®” event that we’re used to in Utah, but for the terribly dry season of 2011/12, this storm was a reckoning that reminded us what life is like in the white deep.
The snow beard is a measurement of face shot probability on March powder days in Utah, as evidenced by this self portrait taken at Solitude on 3/20. (Photo: Jared Hargrave - UtahOutside.com)
Does this storm mean our weather pattern will finally change, giving skiers a much-needed wet spring? Or will this massive dump be Ullr’s way of saying, “here’s your damn snow, now quit whining and go mountain biking?” Either way if you experienced the “storm of 2012,” then kudos to you… all this typing is redundant. But if you didn’t get to ski waist deep pow for two days straight, then maybe this video from SkiUtah.com will make you feel even worse. Enjoy.
