Report from December 27, 2024

Today, I rolled up to Alta at 1 pm, hoping to hit the big afternoon storm and avoid the parking reservations (no reservations needed after 1 pm).

The storm didn’t hit quite as hard as forecast, but hopefully, all that snow (10-16″ were forecast today) clobbers us tonight.

I haven’t skied Utah since December 1st, and it hasn’t really snowed since then.

I was surprised at how thin it still is.

I had fun in the buttery snow today, but I hit a lot of rocks, logs, and ice today.

Another 2 feet or so of snow is forecast by Monday, and that should be enough to mostly get us up off those obstacles and into a fun powder skiing zone.

Tomorrow morning might be amazing at Alta if the forecast holds.

Liftlines were long but that’s to be expected on the biggest holiday of the winter.

I left pretty early but the red snake (traffic) down the canyon was brutal and it took 50 minutes to get out of the canyon.

I was planning on skiing Tahoe this week, but when I rolled over 7,400′ Donner Pass, CA, yesterday, it was 35ºF and raining.

I called an audible and continued straight east across the gaping deserts of Nevada.

I thought about stopping in the Rubies for a ski, but I just don’t think they have enough snow yet…

I ended my drive in Park City, UT, after 11 hours and 740 miles.

The storm is warm here as well and as I drove up Little Cottonwood Canyon today, the rain only turned to snow just before the base of Snowbird.

Fingers crossed this series of storms delivers.

NOTE:

• The Utah snowpack is rotten right now and backcountry skiing over 30º is not advised for a long time

• Utah Avalanche Center: “We Are Doomed in Utah for a Very Dangerous Winter”

Snow Numbers

Forecast

Photos