It’s the storm that Utah skiers and snowboarders have been dreaming about… for years. After several below-average seasons, the biggest snowstorm to hit Utah in five years arrived Christmas week, 2015. According to Ski Utah, some ski areas reported snow totals of over five feet, and even more is on the way. The event was state wide, as massive amounts of powder blanketed 11 Utah resorts that recorded a “Monster Dump” at least once this week (a Monster Dump, is when a resort reports over 12” of snow in 24 hours on the Ski Utah app).
Check out the snow totals at each resort over a four-day period as of Christmas Eve, ranked by the snowiest:
- Solitude: 68 inches
- Brighton: 63 inches
- Snowbasin: 56 inches
- Sundance: 54 inches
- Snowbird: 53 inches
- Deer Valley: 50 inches
- Park City: 50 inches
- Alta: 49 inches
- Beaver Mountain: 47 inches
- Powder Mountain: 46 inches
- Eagle Point: 43 inches
- Cherry Peak: 27 inches
- Nordic Valley: 21 inches
- Brian Head: 10 inches
According to Evan Thayer, of Wasatch Snow Forecast, “This storm was the snowiest three-day period that Park City has received since the 2010-11 season and now every region in the state is above the median snowpack.”
“The timing could not have been any better,” says CEO/President of Ski Utah, Nathan Rafferty. “Not only do storms like these give Utah its reputation for The Greatest Snow on Earth, but it also sways the destination skier to choose Utah for their winter vacation, which as a result helps our state economy.”
Of course, this massive amount of snow falling in such a short period of time means bad news for avalanche danger. According to the Utah Avalanche Center, the state is experiencing some of the “spookiest” avalanche conditions they’ve seen in a long time. Large avalanches are breaking to the ground after failing on weak, sugary, faceted snow. Some observed avalanches, such as the “headliner avalanche” on Cascade Ridge in Utah County, are totally unsurvivable. Check out this eye-opening video of what’s happening right now from Craig Gordon and Trent Meisenheimer in the Uinta Mountains:
Now is a good time to stay away from the backcountry and enjoy all the new powder in the resorts until the snowpack settles down.
If you want up-to-date information about future storms, “Monster Dump” alerts and storm traffic, download Utah’s Official Snow Report app. And always check the Utah Avalanche Center’s forecast before heading into the backcountry.