Industry News
It might have said June on your calendar, but right now areas of the northern Rockies are looking a lot like winter. Welcome to Juneuary.
Higher elevations in the mountains of Utah, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, and the Cascades saw several inches of summer snow this week, covering alpine areas in their January coat.
According to The Weather Channel, this most recent round of snowy and cold conditions is due to an omega block pattern that developed early this week. The jet stream plunged southward over the West, allowing colder than average temperatures and wet weather to return to parts of the region.
On Monday 29th June, almost 6″ of fresh snow fell on Alta Ski Area in Utah, the first time snow had accumulated on that day in 50-years.
Not only that, the mercury only reached 57ºF that day, tying Alta’s daily record coldest high temperature. Nearby Salt Lake City dropped to 45ºF, smashing its previous daily low of 55ºF, and setting the record for the coldest high of that date, 66ºF.
Areas of Idaho saw 8″ of fresh snow, and new daily record lows down to 41ºF. Lost Trail Pass in Montana also saw a dusting of snow, and winter weather advisories were issued for parts of the region.
The following day, Grand Junction, CO experienced light snow and on Sunday snow fell on the nation’s only open ski area, Timberline Lodge in Oregon.
Yesterday, 30th June, was the final day for locations to add to their 2019/20 snow season total. Accumulations reset to zero today, 1st July.
Alta never got more than a dusting, but people in Northern Utah were saying Powder Mountain got 6″