Utah: The Greatest Snow on Earth

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 10 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #5,775 in Sports, #130,590 overall

Find out why people travel to Utah from all over the world...

Wallpaper, 1280x1024: View at Snowbird, Utah on Flickr - Photo Sharing!



Moisture coming off of the Great Salt Lake forms into ice crystals as it moves up and over the Wasatch Mountains.  This combination of "lake effect" snow and altitude results in deep drifts of the best powder on the planet.

Scroll down to find out more about 

Lake effect snow
The western Wasatch front resorts
Getting your Skis at eBay
Traveling to Salt Lake City
Current Snow Conditions

Skiing in Utah 

Here are some YouTube clips of people skiing in Utah
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Ski Utah: Roctober Early Seaso...

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Alta Utah Powder Skiing Jan 5,...

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Ski All Thirteen Utah Resorts ...

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Ski Utah

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Ski Touring and Extreme Skiing...

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Snowbird, Utah 2009 - 2010 Pre...

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Lake Effect Snow 

Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the windward shores. The same effect over bodies of salt water is called ocean effect snow, sea effect snow, or even bay effect snow. The effect is enhanced when the moving air mass is uplifted by the orographic effect of higher elevations on the downwind shores. This uplifting can produce narrow, but very intense bands of precipitation, which deposit at a rate of many inches of snow each hour and often bringing...

Lake Effect Snow in Parish, NY 

Weather Channel video of Easternuswx.com users

Weather Channel video of users from Easternuswx.com on Lake Effect Snow chase in Parish, NY.

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3 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

Ski Resorts 

Although there are other resorts in Utah. The ones on the western side of the Wasatch Front get the most lake effect snow. They are Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude.

Scroll down to learn more about each resort.

Alta 

Flickr Photo Download: skiing Alta

Alta is a ski area located in the Wasatch Mountains just east of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. with a skiable area of 2200 acres (8.9 km²), beginning at a base elevation of 8,530 ft (2,600 m) and rising to 10,550 ft (3,216 m) for a vertical gain of 2,020 ft (616 m). Alta is one of the oldest ski resorts in the country, opening its first lift in 1939. It has an average annual snowfall of 514 inches (1,306 cm).ALTA, UTAH - Climate Summary Alta is one of three remaining ski resorts in America that prohibits snowboarders, along with nearby competitor Deer Valley and Vermont's Mad River G...

Brighton 

Mark at Brighton Ski Area in Utah on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Brighton Ski Resort is a ski area located in Big Cottonwood Canyon, 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. Brighton Ski Resort was the first ski resort in Utah, and one of the first in the United States. Brighton was started in 1936 when members of the Alpine Ski Club built a rope tow from wire and an old elevator motor. Brighton claims to be a "no-frills" resort whose sole business is to provide skiers and snowboarders with top-notch trails. While it does provide lodging, dining, and shopping, the extent of the facilities does not make Brighton what is typically seen as a destination s...

Snowbird 

Skiing at Snowbird on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Snowbird is an unincorporated area based in Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is perhaps most famous for the Snowbird ski resort, an alpine skiing and snowboarding area, which opened in December 1971.

Solitude 

Solitude Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in the Big Cottonwood Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains, thirty miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah. With 64 trails, and vertical, Solitude is smaller than other all of the other six Salt Lake City resorts except its neighbor Brighton. It is a family-oriented mountain, with a wider range of beginner and intermediate slopes than other Utah ski resorts; 70% of its slopes are graded "beginner" or "intermediate," the highest such ratio in the Salt Lake City area. Solitude was one of the first major US resorts to adopt an RFID lift ticket system...

Get Your Skis at eBay 

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eBay

Ski Boots at eBay 

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eBay

Don't Forget Your Gloves... 

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eBay

The Scenery 

See for yourself why people love to ski in Utah.

Heading up Shadow by Lights Out Photos

Heading up Shadow

Peruvian Chairs by John-Morgan

Peruvian Chairs

Utah License Plate - Skiing Version by Kenneth Hynek

Utah License Plate -...

More views from the Wasatch Mountains by John-Morgan

More views from the...

Weather on the Wasatch Mountains by John-Morgan

Weather on the Wasat...

Ski boat from Red Canyon overlook by zaui

Ski boat from Red Ca...

Salt Lake City Olympics Ski Jumping Ramps by Kenneth Hynek

Salt Lake City Olymp...

WILDFLOWER BONANZA by Fool-On-The-Hill

WILDFLOWER BONANZA

WILDFLOWER BONANZA by Fool-On-The-Hill

WILDFLOWER BONANZA

WILDFLOWER BONANZA by Fool-On-The-Hill

WILDFLOWER BONANZA

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Flying to Salt Lake City 

Find the best deals for flying into SLC.

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Take a Break from Skiing 

Need to take a break? Check out some of the movies playing in Salt Lake City.
Disney's A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens' timeless tale of an old miser who must face Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Y...
Disney's A Christmas Carol in Disney Digital 3D
Three Christmas spirits take miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) on an eye-opening journey.
Disney's A Christmas Carol: The IMAX 3D Experience
Three Christmas spirits take miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) on an eye-opening journey.
The Box
With the press of a button, a simple wooden box bestows riches and death.
The Fourth Kind
During videotaped sessions with her patients, a psychologist (Milla Jovovich) in Nome, Alaska, uncov...

More movies playing in 84101

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Shopping in Salt Lake 

The ski resorts are less than an hour away from the best shopping in Salt Lake City. Here are some reviews.

Here's what Yelpers have to say about Shopping in 84101

Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore (Salt Lake City)  
"There's not much to add here that hasn't already been said, except: if you like pre-1965-or-so paperbacks, DO NOT MISS the dedicated section upstairs. If..." more
Salt Lake City Public Library (Salt Lake City)  
"Probably my favorite public library - new, beautiful glass sides, clean, laptop stations, & perfect location to several of the best SLC coffee shops. It's..." more
Back Country (Salt Lake City)  
"Billowing backpacks, Radioactive Man! Holy shizzle. Can I just begin by saying customer service is rare these days, unless you're paying through the nose..." more
Whiskey Militia (Salt Lake City)  
"i'm sorry to spoil the run of five-star reviews. let me tell you: whiskey militia's prices _are_ great. furthermore, it's _fun_ to shop at whiskey militia..." more
Rei-Recreational Equipment Inc (Salt Lake City)  
"I have spent the majority of my summer trying to hunt down a bike mechanic that could fix the hub on my beach cruiser. I took it to 3 different local bike..." more
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Snow Conditions 

Check out the latest snow conditions here.

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Current Weather 

Find out the weather in Utah or in your own zip code. Salt Lake City's zip code is 84101.

Ski Utah's Blog 

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More Information 

If your planning a ski trip to Utah. Here are some guide books. Vote for your favorites, or add your own.

Your turn: Am I right? 

SemperFidelis wrote...

My husband is on the National Ski Patrol and patrols at White Pass Washington. I think he would beg to differ on where the best snow is! 5* :o)

ReplyPosted November 30, 2007

flowski wrote...

I just love Alta, Utah! Although now I'm in Tahoe, I had a season pass there for 4 seasons back in the day. Some of the best moments of my life have been on epic powderdays in the Wasatch Mountains. I spent a season at Brighton before I got my Alta pass in a drawing. Brighton is also wonderful.

ReplyPosted November 02, 2007

Susan52 wrote...

Pretty, pretty snow! I prefer it without skis, but it sure is beautiful.

ReplyPosted October 31, 2007

Janusz wrote...

Wow! what a Great Lens :)

ReplyPosted October 30, 2007

Barkely wrote...

I've only been skiing, or I should say attempted skiing a couple times. I spent more time on my bottom than I did on the skis. I've only been to Utah in the summer, it looks breathtaking in the winter.

ReplyPosted October 29, 2007

view all 7 comments

by boredofeducation

I grew up skiing on the best snow on the planet.  This is my homage to the miracle of lake effect snow.
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