Which Utah ski resort had the most snow this winter?

Snow covers a sign directing drivers to ski resorts at the entrance to Little Cottonwood Canyon on Jan. 4. Some ski areas put up solid, even impressive totals for the season.

Snow covers a sign directing drivers to ski resorts at the entrance to Little Cottonwood Canyon on Jan. 4. Some ski areas put up solid, even impressive totals for the season. (Brice Tucker, Deseret News)


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KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Snowbird Resort received the most snow in Utah this winter with 542 inches.
  • Alta Ski Area followed closely with 538 inches.
  • Despite less snow, Brian Head had its longest season with 181 ski days.

SALT LAKE CITY — While it wasn't a banner winter for snow in Utah overall, some ski areas put up solid, even impressive totals for the season.

The state's 15 resorts closed earlier this spring, but three places in North America — all in the West — remain open for at least another week. Utah resorts are now gearing up for summer activities like mountain biking and hiking.

Preliminary data from the National Ski Areas Association released in May showed that the 2024-25 season marked the second-highest visitation on record at U.S. ski areas, with a total of 61.5 million skier visits, a 1.7% increase over the previous season. A skier visit is counted each time a person uses a lift ticket or pass at a ski area.

Ski resorts in the Rocky Mountain states accounted for nearly 43% of all skier days nationwide during the 2024-25 season, which turned out to be nearly the biggest year ever. The data was preliminary because some areas are still open.

Several resorts were close to if not above their average annual snowfall.

As usual, the resorts in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons picked up the most snow among Utah resorts during the past season. (Snow totals are per Ski Utah.)

Snowbird led the way with 542 inches, one of two resorts in the state to exceed 500 inches this year.

"It has been one heck of a season filled with powdery bliss, slush season frenzy and plenty of shredding to go around. The stoke was high, sometimes the vis was low, but it just meant we were getting dumped on. Where else would you want to be?" reads Snowbird's season-ending posting.

Neighboring Alta Ski Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon checked in just behind Snowbird with 538 inches.

Ashley Marten and Alastair Moody ski up Little Cottonwood Canyon on Feb. 12.
Ashley Marten and Alastair Moody ski up Little Cottonwood Canyon on Feb. 12. (Photo: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

The long game

In Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton Resort had 478 inches, while Solitude ended with 420 inches. With an early opening last November, Solitude totaled 183 days of operation, the most in the state.

"We've melted out! We promised to keep you skiing and riding as long and possible — and we did! We kept our lifts spinning deep into May, but Mother Nature has decided it's time to end the #LongestSeasonInUtah," according to the resort.

On the Wasatch Back, Park City Mountain ended the season with 306 inches, while Deer Valley closed with 265 inches.

A person crashes while skiing in fresh snow at Solitude Mountain Resort in Brighton on March 6.
A person crashes while skiing in fresh snow at Solitude Mountain Resort in Brighton on March 6. (Photo: Tess Crowley, Deseret News)

Despite a down snow year — 169 inches total — Brian Head in southern Utah managed to pull off the longest season in its 60-year history with 181 ski days.

"Thanks to our dedicated team, an early opening in November and strategic investments in snowmaking, we've delivered our longest season yet — all while keeping skiing affordable for everyone," Amber Palmer, Brian Head marketing manager, said in a press release.

More Utah ski resort totals

Here are totals for the other ski areas in the state, per Ski Utah:

  • Beaver Mountain — 242 inches
  • Cherry Peak — 186 inches
  • Eagle Point — 190 inches
  • Nordic Valley — 90 inches
  • Powder Mountain — 253 inches
  • Snowbasin — 276 inches
  • Sundance — 213 inches
  • Woodward Park City — 160 inches

Even though Utah resorts are closed for the year, some lifts are still spinning at Mammoth Mountain in California, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Timberline Lodge in Oregon, per OnTheSnow.

Correction: An earlier version stated that Brighton Ski Resort received 578 inches of snow. That's been updated to 478 inches.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Dennis Romboy, Deseret NewsDennis Romboy
Dennis Romboy is an editor and reporter for the Deseret News. He has covered a variety of beats over the years, including state and local government, social issues and courts. A Utah native, Romboy earned a degree in journalism from the University of Utah. He enjoys cycling, snowboarding and running.
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