There was a moment last week, as I was wrapping up a memorable day of skiing the fresh 22 inches of snow Park City had received, when I was struck by a sad thought: Is it possible this could be my last powder day of the season?
I hate to say it, but it might have been the last. We are, after all, deep into spring now. Lifts are closing in about 10 days along the Wasatch Back. Most importantly, the upcoming forecast does not exactly scream “big powder days ahead.”
A high pressure ridge is building over the region. Temperatures will climb through the end of the work week, reaching the low 60s in town.
You will notice that the bottom falls out on Sunday, with temperatures plummeting by 20-25 degrees. This will be thanks to a system dropping into northern Utah out of the northwest. Unfortunately, the moisture with this storm looks limited. Total expected precipitation over the next week shows only light amounts for our part of the state, with the main storm track remaining well north of Utah.
If we look at this same map, but display only the expected snowfall, the amounts are even more meager.
Another cooldown late in the weekend is likely, but the chances for skiable powder accompanying those cooler temperatures are low.
Even if we are to get surprise snow, I will not be here to enjoy it. I am heading off later this week back to my hometown on the shores of Lake Tahoe. It will be my first trip home in more than 12 years. My 4-year-old son is old enough now to appreciate seeing where Dad is from, and I have to admit I’m excited at the prospect of showing him the highlights of my childhood.
By the time I return, the lifts will have closed for the season here in Park City. Thus, this will be my last edition of “The Outlook” for the 2024-25 ski season. As they say, don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.
There is no question the season started off somewhat on the rocky side — literally. Snowfall was lacking for the first month or two of the season. We also had to deal with an unprecedented ski patrol strike around the holidays that brought our town into the national spotlight.
Things turned around, however, as we rolled into February and the snow started flying. Our snowpack quickly returned to near-normal levels. Deer Valley was able to open new terrain. It felt like a typical winter in Park City again.
With a snowy March and beginning of April, we will be closing out the season only slightly below the 30-year average for total snowfall in Park City. The Wasatch Mountains as a whole were actually slightly above average for the season. This is excellent news for our hydrologic outlook heading into the dry months. We now have had three years in a row that total snowfall has exceeded average, which will help to maintain reservoirs through the summer.
If I have learned anything over the years, it is that everybody can see the same ski season differently. Whether it was a “good” or “bad” ski season depends on the lens. For me, personally, it was a great season.
I had good luck with my timing on storms and was able to ski quite a few high-quality powder days. I was also able to continue to pass my love of skiing and outdoors on to the next generation. Seeing that love blossom in your children really is as rewarding as they say. I hope you had a great season as well.
Thank you for reading each week. I hope we can do this again next winter. Until then, you can find me on the Utah Daily Snow on OpenSnow, or perhaps on a local bike trail this summer trying to keep up with my kiddo.
For up-to-date forecasts, you can subscribe to Evan’s Utah Daily Snow forecast on OpenSnow.com and the OpenSnow app.