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SALT LAKE CITY — Warmer than normal temperatures are giving people an option about how to spend their weekend, whether it be on the slopes or on the golf course.
Temperatures in Salt Lake City were in the mid-50s Friday and in the mid-40s on average in the higher elevations.
This makes it ideal for both skiing and golfing, activities that you can "do one in the morning and the other in the afternoon," according to an old adage.
Either way, it’s good news for Utah’s economy.
At Old Mill Golf course, there were about 80 golfers on the links.
The course manager said it’s like “Black Friday” to them: it’s additional revenue for the course, since it’s out of season.
“Early spring, late fall, if we’ve got good weather we actually benefit from that,” course manager Brian Scramm said.
Depending on geography and elevation, most Utah ski resorts are open and are making additional terrain available this weekend.
Snow is a little soft, but the snow is still amazing here at Snowbird. We would love to have Mother Nature help us out with a little snow, but our hotel lodging is up over last year.
–Brian Brown, Snowbird public relations manager
Still, precipitation is below average and temperatures are above average, conditions that aren’t making the resorts nervous unless they continue too long.
“Snow is a little soft, but the snow is still amazing here at Snowbird,” Brian Brown, Snowbird public relations manager, said. “We would love to have Mother Nature help us out with a little snow, but our hotel lodging is up over last year.”
And most of the skiers and snowboarders seemed satisfied with the conditions, with snow many described as "spring conditions."
“It’s great, it’s warm out,” snowboarder Sophie Charlton said. “The snow isn’t too icy, not too slushy. Pretty good conditions I think.”
People in the valleys are doing more than just golfing. Hikers, bikers, dog walkers and more are expected to be out this weekend.
Yard work — if it’s still on a honey-do list — might also be possible, unless the worker decides to play a little hooky.
Jeff Geer and his friends decided to do just that Friday, putting off work to come to the Old Mill Course.
“My friend Larry and I got to the office today and both looked at each other and said, ‘Hey think we can sneak out?’ ”
