Utah's Ski Resorts Tally Multiple Inches of Snow With More on the Way

In Utah, winter’s showing out. 

All across the state, from Brian Head to the Cottonwood Canyons, resorts clocked snowfall, some of it serious. Snowbird’s snow stake is sitting encouragingly around the ten-inch mark, with some flakes still falling.

The upper reaches of Alta Ski Area are covered in a pristine, white coat. At the top of the Crest lift, Brighton’s webcam is all fogged up, in a good way.

The storm isn’t finished quite yet. A winter weather advisory published by the NWS remains in effect for the Cottonwood Canyons through Wednesday morning. It calls for between three and six inches of snow, with higher amounts expected above 9,000 feet. 

The snow’s forecasted to taper off by Wednesday or Thursday with the arrival of clear skies and warmer—but not broiling—temperatures rolling into the weekend. As is often the case with October snow, this should turn out to be a wintry tease rather than a solid base-building opportunity. And, for the most part, local resorts are aiming to open towards the end of November.

There is, however, one ski area with its eyes set on an earlier opening day. Brian Head’s looking at an ambitious November 6. If it pulls it off, it’ll be the first resort open in the state. After that, Alta, Park City, and Solitude are up next on November 20, per their projected opening dates.

The storm came as other states throughout the West, from California to Montana and Colorado, also saw October snow. Among those areas, Montana or Utah may have been the biggest winners so far. In Montana, Showdown said it picked up between 12 and 15 inches, sharing a classic picnic table photo—one of our favorite measurement tools for new snowfall.Even better, some avid go-getters scored the first turns of the season before the lifts start spinning.

It is, really, only a matter of time. Here’s hoping the momentum keeps up.

Related: Fourth BPC Video Takes Snowless Skiing To New Heights