Man, it feels like it’s been a very, very long time since Utah has received a snow storm as big as the one that slammed the state on December 20th through the 22nd. After a dismal ski season last year, and a slow start this fall, it’s seemed like forever since I felt a series of nonstop face shots. But it finally happened for me at Alta, and it renewed my joy for powder skiing.
According to Wasatch Snow Forecast, many places in the Salt Lake Valley, especially on the benches, saw more snowfall than the mountains! A weak, shallow flow is to blame bcause it lacked orographic lift to push that snow into the upper Cottonwood Canyons and Wasatch Back. But that doesn’t mean places like Alta missed out. Alta/Snowbird reported 23-24 inches over the course of the storm. But the big winner here is Brian Head, which got pummeled with 37 inches of snow! Here’s a breakdown of the big winners:
Powder Mountain: 13″
Snowbasin: 15″
Park City: 11″
Deer Valley: 9″
Sundance: 11″
Brighton/Solitude: 16-17″
Alta/Snowbird: 23-24″
Brian Head: 37″
And it’s not over yet. Just in time for the holidays, another big storm is approaching. So book those tickets, say sorry to mom, and get your butt in a chairlift. Need more proof? Here’s some video evidence by SkiUtah’s Powderhound.