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John Hollenhorst reporting In spite of all the snow lately, researchers have spotted an odd and potentially important long-term trend.
Snowfall is declining significantly in mountain areas East of Salt Lake City.
One unproven theory is that air pollution is interfering with the snowstorms.
In general, air quality has improved since early last century. But small-particle pollution may be on the increase. In theory, those tiny particles could be taking a bite out of the Greatest Snow on Earth.
The Wasatch Mountains still get a lot more snow than the Salt Lake Valley. But the gap is narrowing.
North American Weather Consultants, Inc. Sandy
That's what weather consultant Don Griffith and his colleagues at North American Weather Consultants, Inc. in Sandy discovered when they analyzed snow data from 1949 to the present.
In the valley, snowfall fluctuates wildly from year to year. But the half-century trend is up about 7 percent.
In mountain locations downwind of Salt Lake and Provo, the trend line goes the other way, down, 15 to 25 percent less snow.
Don Griffith, Meteorologist: "I think it's fairly dramatic. And it's not just happening here in Utah."
Studies in the Los Angeles area and several other locations show a similar pattern: Declining snowfall in mountain areas east, or downwind, of major urban areas.
Veteran snow surveyor Randy Julander has noticed unexpectedly low readings at some survey sites in the Wasatch.
Randy Julander, Snow Survey expert: "We've seen sites that are unexplainable in any other context."
Don Griffith, Meteorologist: "One culprit, one suspect, I guess, is air pollution. But it's not a proven, I don't think in my mind, that that's what's happening."
Some researchers theorize that the tiniest pollution particulates blow downwind and interfere with snowflake formation.
Randy Julander, Snow Survey expert: "It's a little premature to say this is the cause. But there is something going on."
If the trend continues, it could significantly impact water supplies. Everyone agrees; more studies are needed.
Don Griffith, Meteorologist: "Oh yeah, this is a definitely just a wake-up call, it seems like to me anyway."
Our own Mark Eubank told me he finds the study interesting, but he's skeptical. He points out that high winds usually precede a storm.
So doesn't the pollution just blow away? Griffith says he doesn't know; it's one of many things that need more study before we'll know what's going on.
