Ski Utah Unveils Surprise Political Candidate: Super El Niño

Election season is heating up as the midterms approach. And with so much on the line, Ski Utah has apparently decided to throw its weight behind a candidate, unveiling a line of yard signs and merch that back its chosen contender. 

However, we’re not talking about a person you’ll be able to vote for this coming November. The local ski industry trade association instead has its money on El Niño—the supercharged climate phenomenon that’s sent resorts and their patrons into a tizzy this fall. All hope (us included) that the very strong El Niño outing means more snow, and a lot of it.

Ski Utah’s getting in on that fun with a slogan that reads, simply, “Vote Super El Niño.”

The organization’s president and CEO, Nathan Rafferty, per Deseret News, painted the campaign as a lighthearted way to bring skiers together during a time that seems, at least as far as politics go, overwhelmingly gloomy. 

“This is the one race where all of Utah is on the same ticket. Whatever divides us the rest of the year, we can all agree on hoping for a big winter. Grab a sign, put it in your yard, and let your neighbors know where you stand on powder,” he said, also noting that while “election season can feel divisive,” if you “spend five minutes in a lift line and you’ll find plenty of common ground.”

Ski Utah plans to make the lawn signs available for free on October 2 from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. in its Salt Lake City office parking lot at 2749 E. Parleys Way, alongside putting up billboards, Deseret reported. 

The slogan and broader hype come at a nervy time for the western half of the U.S.’s ski industry. Out there, last season, as you know, was a dramatic dud. In Utah, some resorts opened late and closed early as the state’s famous powder failed to turn up as often as usual. No one wants a repeat performance.

El Niño, which is one part of a three-chapter pattern that hinges on ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific and can influence global weather, may or may not provide some relief. It’s being talked about so much right now because it’s inching into record-strength territory, drawing foreboding qualifiers like “Super” and “Godzilla.”

This isn’t all out-of-control hype. As Daniel Swain, one specialist and science communicator, put it, “This is probably going to be the superlative El Niño event of our lives so far.” And scientists and states are worried about the impacts, from flooding to heat, depending on the part of the world.

But does all the buzz mean Utah will get slammed with snow? We’d like that. While El Niño has a reputation for reinforcing a southern storm track and bringing more moisture to the Southwest, though, Utah’s prognosis is less clear. Generally, the state sits in a foggier zone between the clearer southern and northern parts of the El Niño pattern.

Still, seasonal models used by an ensemble tend to agree that winter will be wetter than normal over much of the Southwest, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and that does include parts of Utah, with expected outcomes varying from forecast to forecast.

Some forecasters have also noted that with the rare strength of this El Niño, the atmosphere could bring some surprises. 

Regardless, we’re happy to put a vote behind El Niño producing an epic winter in Utah. But also, go actually vote, too. That’s important.

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