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 #9,771 in Sports, #219,107 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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Utah back country skiing. mil...

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iRock, huge huck utah skiing

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Utah Ski Alta Wasatch Powder S...

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Ski Utah

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Powder Ski Alta Utah Feb 2007 ...

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Ski Utah Best of 2008

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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 leeward 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, often resulting in...

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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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. With a skiable area of 2200 acres (8.9 km²), beginning at a base elevation of 8530 ft (2600 m) and rising to 10,550 ft (3216 m) for a vertical gain of 2020 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 Glen.

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 one of the smaller ski resorts near Salt Lake City, along with 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, allow...

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.

Lift Chair In Motion by boonejag75

Lift Chair In Motion

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Flying to Salt Lake City 

Find the best deals for flying into SLC.

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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

Salt Lake City Public Library (Salt Lake City)  
"I'm not marking down any stars, but I must agree with a previous reviewer--it is a pretty loud library. Don't come here for a quiet afternoon, unless you..." more
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
Back Country (Salt Lake City)  
"This review is for backcountry.com (Is there a real physical retail store? I don't know). I haven't actually received my gear yet..but I'm amazed at their..." 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.

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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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