Conditions Report
Report from January 9, 2024
The storm has arrived.
I got to Alta’s empty Wildcat parking lot at 1 pm today with flakes beginning to fall and windspeeds increasing.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning from today until Thursday at 5 am, calling for upwards of 30 inches of fresh snow for Alta when it’s all said and done.
I skied the beginning of that storm today.
There was no lift line anywhere on the mountain.
I started by going to Supreme where I skied Nun’s Rock, Supreme Bowl, and Mo’s, which skied superbly.
The snow was soft, wind-deposited powder that was smooth, spongey, and receptive.
You could float without hitting bottom, and in spots it was deep.
A face shot or two on every run wasn’t uncommon today.
An impromptu crew formed today; every time I looked we were all smiling, despite the bitter cold.
The snow was already good and we knew it was only getting better.
We lapped Supreme before going to warm up at the scrumptious Baldy Brews where Sarah served us up the best espresso in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Refueling was necessary before hitting two more soft laps on the High Traverse.
The first was on Bombay Chute, which was powdery.
The second we took on Eagle’s Nest, where no one was skiing and the leftover stashes were plentiful.
Alta was as empty as a ghost town today, and the approaching storm only added to the allure.
The next few days are going to be crazy here…
Just don’t forget to bring a snorkel.
Snow Numbers
Weather
