It’s only September in Utah but winter had already arrived in the Wasatch Mountains. A massive, early-fall storm dropped tons of snow in upper Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons that made the peaks look more like January than September. Of course diehard locals with no fear of gouging their skis hiked up Alta for some powder turns, as evidenced by this video from The Daily Pow.
Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen High Boy at Alta skied like that in September before.
According to Wasatch Snow Forecast, Sunday, September 24 was the 5th snowiest day in September on record with 11 inches falling at Alta (the record is 15 inches back in 1982.)
Over at Solitude Mountain Resort, where summer operations are still going on, crews had to close the Sunrise chair on Sunday because of the snow. Based on the amount that fell, they could have left it open for skiers!
Of course it is still September and the warm weather will return later in the week. But will it be enough to melt all the snow before the next snowfall? Concerned backcountry skiers like myself hope so, as early-season snow like this can lead to ground-level facets that plague us with avalanches all season long.
Still, it’s exciting to see winter arrive early as a harbinger of the ski season to come.
R.I.P. those poor skis