Utah's snowpack, ski resorts receive major boost from 'beneficial' weekend storm

SALT LAKE CITY — Some of Utah's resorts reported Monday that they received more than 4 feet of snow this weekend from an atmospheric river that ultimately produced more than originally forecast.

The series of storms also helped Utah's snowpack get back on track after a sluggish start to the season, soaring from about 39% of the normal on Friday to 113% by Monday morning, according to federal data.

"This has done wonders for ski resorts and our snowpack," said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson. "(There were) big-time totals."

The only downside is that all the snow in a short period raised avalanche danger in the mountains across northern and central Utah.

Snowfall numbers and avalanche danger

Snowbird led all of the resorts in weekend snow reports. The Little Cottonwood Canyon resort received 53 inches of snow between Friday and early Monday, nearly doubling its year-to-date snowfall collection.

Alta Ski Area, in the same canyon, received more than 4 feet of snow, as well. Both resorts are nearing 10 feet of snowfall this season.

While no other resort reported reaching the 4-foot mark, all but the resorts in southern Utah ended up with close to or more than 2 feet of fresh powder. Powder Mountain, Brighton and Snowbasin resorts posted more than 40 inches of snow, while Sundance and Solitude resorts also reported snowfall in the range of 3 feet.

Avalanche danger remains high across the Wasatch Mountains and "considerable" in the West Uintas after all the snow, though. This elevated avalanche risk complicated some operations at ski resorts this weekend. At least two dozen avalanches have already been reported since Friday, though there were no injuries reported to people, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

"The mountains have gone through a widespread natural and human-triggered avalanche cycle within the past (two days) from strong northwest winds and relentless heavy snowfall," the agency wrote in a report Monday. "A few backcountry riders were caught and carried short distances (Sunday), and luckily, there were no injuries."

The center also does not recommend that people venture into avalanche terrain within high-risk areas at the moment because of the high risks.

Other snowfall and precipitation figures

The Wasatch backcountry also received impressive snow figures this weekend. Liberty, Weber County received 27 inches, while nearby Eden received 21 inches to lead the way, according to the National Weather Service.

Cities in northern Utah led the way in terms of valley snowfall. Parts of North Ogden wound up with 10 inches of snow, while a station in Pleasant View recorded 9 inches, per the weather service. One Logan station also picked up 6 inches of snow this weekend.

Places like Salt Lake City received a healthy mixture of snow and rain, the latter coming after a warming cold front arrived on Sunday. Utah's capital city received 1.7 inches of snow and 0.68 inches of precipitation over the last three days.

Utah's snowpack gets back on track

Joel Williams, deputy director of the Division of Water Resources, lamented on Thursday that Utah's snowpack was off to "a slow start" after a fairly mild October and November, but this weekend's storm certainly helped.

Utah's snowpack more than doubled, jumping from an average of 1.4 inches of snow water equivalent statewide on Friday to 3.2 inches by Monday morning, per Natural Resources Conservation Service data. It's still early in the snowpack collection season, which is why the percentage of normal changed so drastically.

"We are still ... need many more storm cycles, but this was still a beneficial one," the National Weather Service posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Snow water equivalent is the amount of water within the snow that fell. The snowpack collection and spring snowmelt process account for about 95% of the state's water supply.

Snowpack basins in Utah's northern half gained the most from the storm pattern. These basins were the biggest weekend winners among basins in Utah's primary collection areas:

• Weber-Ogden: 3.3 inches (now 124% of normal for the season)
• Bear River: 2.4 inches (now 122% of normal for the season)
• Provo-Utah Lake-Jordan: 2.3 inches (now 114% of normal for the season)
• Duchesne River: 1.7 inches (now 94% of normal for the season)
• Tooele-Vernon Creek: 1.1 inches (now 116% of normal for the season)

The storm even benefitted Utah's reservoirs before the snowpack melts. Utah's reservoirs, excluding Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge, are now collectively 77% full, up 2 percentage points from the end of November, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources.

The current capacity percentage is well above the state's median average of about 57% for December, largely as a result of last year's record snowpack. It's also about 33 percentage points above the capacity this time last year.

Williams said the next few months will be pivotal as the state seeks to keep last year's successes rolling. It helps that Utah is already off to a moist December after the weather service's Climate Prediction Center listed most of the state as having no clear signal for a wet, dry or normal month.

Johnson said there's also a growing probability for another storm to hit Utah's northern half later this week. The center lists most of Utah as having a slightly stronger probability for an above-normal meteorological winter, which began on Friday.

But the Utah Division of Water Resources is still urging Utahns to continue practicing water conservation because of the unknowns on the horizon. While the irrigation season is over, they say people should use this time to check for leaks and upgrade any old fixtures with water-efficient ones.

"From now until April will be pivotal in determining the overall water outlook for the state," Williams said in a statement. "I hope we have another record snow year, but at the same time it's crucial that we plan for all possibilities."

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