That's still a great number, however, but less than the true Utah stalwarts above. In reality, Powder Mountain gets about 350" per winter. Powder Mountain claims to receive "more than 500 inches" of snow, but that number is overstated by 30%. Only 7.5% of Solitude's winter months bring less than 30" of snow, while 34% of them bring more than 90", and 17% of days feature six inches of snow or more. It's sill one of the six best places in North America to troll for powder, however, as it averages 437" of snow per winter. Its base is about 800 below that of Brighton's, and it's farther from the end of the canyon, which is why it receives less snow. Courtesy: Alta Solitude - Snow Score - 88.6īrighton's direct neighbor to the west, Solitude also gulps up snow from the Utah canyon effect. Skiers can hunt powder here dependably, as the 19% of the days at Brighton see six inches of snow or more. The snow is consistent, with only 4.3% of winter months bringing less than 30", with 44% of months bringing more than 90". This brings Brighton, which is positioned at the end of the canyon, similar to Alta, 504" of snow per year. It is one canyon north of Alta and Snowbird, in Big Cottonwood Canyon, whose ability to capture storms and wring them dry is similar to that of Little Cottonwood. Utah's hold on the top places for snow in North America is a firm one, with Brighton rounding out the top three overall for the continent. Just like Alta, Snowbird is greatly helped by the fact that most of its terrain-50%-faces north, which tends to keep it cold and chalky. Snowbird's peak elevation, at the top of its tram, is 450 feet higher than Alta's which is good, but its base area is more than 700 feet below that of Alta's which means its lower slopes suffer first when snow begins to degrade. Alta receives slightly more snow, but not enough that any skier would notice it across a season. Snowbird - Snow Score - 97.5Īs Alta's next-door neighbor, Snowbird enjoys all of the same effects. Spend five days at Alta and you're likely to hit it deep-20.2% of winter days bring six inches of snow or more. This effect remains remarkably consistent throughout the years, which is why only 1.3% of winter months at Alta bring less than 30" of snow, while 49.3% of them bring more than 90". Little Cottonwood Canyon turns weak weather systems coming across northern Utah into raging two-foot powder events, which is how the resort averages 517" of snow per year. The snow always finds its way here, and the people do, too.Īlta is positioned at the best spot in what is perhaps the best canyon for snow in the world. You don't see many Alta ads, if any, because this place doesn't need any. The resort synonymous with snow became that way for a reason-and it was largely due to organic word-of-mouth exchanges from one skier to another for decades. Down here, we're diving into what Utah ski resorts have been best for snow historically, something that is hotly debated, but shouldn't be: we have the the data and the facts.Ī thorough explanation: The best ski resorts for snow in Utah historically: Alta - Snow Score - 100.0 Some, such as Deer Valley and Park City, are simply average compared with other major ski resorts across the American West.īut snow conditions can vary by the week and day, of course, which is why up top we included the graphs that show the Utah ski resorts that have received the most snow recently and are likely to receive the most in the near future. Some ski resorts-Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude-outpace everywhere else. Parts of the Wasatch Range receive more snow and with a lower standard deviation (more dependable) than anywhere else on the North American continent.īut not all of Utah is the same. The state government has stamped Utah license plates with the words "Greatest Snow On Earth" for decades. Utah's reputation for great snow has been carefully cultivated.
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