Last week’s storm brought snow and colder air as expected to the central Wasatch mountains, including Summit County. The upper mountains of Park City and Deer Valley received 10 to 16 inches of fresh snow with several inches in town. Saturday was the ideal bluebird day with fresh snow, additional terrain openings, and a deep blue sky.
The cold air also allowed the ski areas to fire up their snow-making machines this weekend to supplement the natural snowfall.
I have been fielding quite a few questions regarding where we stand in relation to last year at this time. Also, where do we stand compared to an average snowpack at this time of year? Most of us know that last year was a record year for the snowpack in Utah. Comparing this year’s numbers to last year is a recipe for disappointment.
We are falling further behind last year (orange line) at Thaynes Canyon Snotel site at 9,200 feet in Park City. We are, however, generally keeping pace with the 40-year median snowpack (green line). We are slightly below the median snowpack. All in all, this is a fairly typical year for Park City-area mountains.
For those of you looking for a deeper snowpack and perhaps a bit more confidence venturing off-piste, a quick trip to the Cottonwood Canyons on the west side of the Wasatch crest may be in the cards. Due to their topographic advantage of being on the windward side of the mountains, they have seen more snow thus far, and therefore have a more substantial base.
As far as the forecast goes, we are now in a tranquil period with high pressure in control as we head into this weekend. Sunny skies and warming temperatures will be the theme for this weekend. I do not see any real chances for snow until at least the middle of next week.
If you are starting to look anxiously toward the holiday period and wishing for a white Christmas or maybe just more snow to get the mountains fully open, I have some potentially good news for you. Later next week, a cutoff low-pressure system is going to move off the west coast of California.
This low (blue/purple area in the graphic) is going to provide the mechanism for potentially pulling moisture into the western states later next week. The hope would be that eventually this low is carried inland by a trough in the jet stream.
Forecasting beyond a week is always somewhat speculative. Next week, I will certainly have a better handle on this scenario as forecast weather models gain confidence in the details.
I spent my entire adult life thinking of nothing but powder skiing from roughly October through May each year. Now, as a parent, I’m starting to get excited at the prospect of warm and sunny weather during the ski season.
Much to my disappointment, my 3-year-old still doesn’t understand the appeal of waking up before dawn and standing in a lift line for an hour waiting for first chair just to ski down the mountain in 15-degree temperatures while snow is heaved upward into your face the entire time. Come to think of it, few people in my life, of any age, understand the appeal of that. Their loss.
I can’t ignore the truth, however. I am legitimately excited for sunny weather this weekend. You can find me on green runs with a pocket full of gummy candy, attempting to coax my son to make a few more turns all while trying to find the balance between a good time and a meltdown. As anybody who has parented a toddler can attest, it is a fine line between the two. Honestly, I can’t wait.
For up-to-date forecasts, you can subscribe to Evan’s Utah Daily Snow forecast on OpenSnow.com and the OpenSnow app.