Salt Lake City, UT - A potent storm system brought a quantum change to the weather pattern across the Intermountain Western U.S. overnight, propelling Utah directly from summer to early winter. The storm dropped up to a foot of snow on the state's Wasatch Mountain ski and snowboard resorts in the first snowfall of the upcoming season.
Fresh snow covers Snowbird's Chickadee chairlift and summer alpine slide this morning. |
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort reported approximately one foot of snow atop 11,000-foot Hidden Peak and six inches at the base, blanketing the entire resort.
“There is still work to be done on the new Peruvian Tunnel and Peruvian Express chairlift before winter arrives, but this first snowfall is exciting for everyone who loves to ski,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar.
Snow also fell overnight on the slopes of Alta, Brighton, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain, Powder Mountain, Snowbasin, Solitude, Sundance, The Canyons, and Wolf Mountain. The sun was shining this morning on dry ski slopes at Brian Head in the southern part of the state, and reports from Beaver Mountain, in far northern Utah near the Idaho border, were not immediately available.
Snowbird’s Snow Safety Department does not officially begin seasonal snowfall records until Nov. 1 so this week’s snowfall will not count toward the annual accumulation that averages 500 inches.
The 2006-07 Utah ski and snowboard season kicks off Saturday, Nov. 18 at Snowbird.
