Weather
A midweek Pacific system targets Utah with the main snow Tuesday night through Thursday, dropping snow levels from around 9,000 feet to near 7,000 feet and delivering the best totals to the Cottonwoods while southern and far northern areas pick up lighter amounts. Expect initially dense snow that trends to a fair, chalky feel as colder air arrives, breezy to strong winds Tuesday that ease behind the front, and a drying, gradual warmup Friday into the weekend before the next pattern shift late weekend into next week.
Tuesday’s warm, windy lead-in sets the stage with high snow levels and increasing clouds. Southwesterly flow strengthens during the day, with the strongest gusts across southern and western Utah and a notable surge around Eagle Point where gusts can push near 50 mph Tuesday night. Snow levels hover close to 9,000 feet ahead of the front, so early precipitation favors the upper elevations with lower elevations seeing rain or a mix at first. Snow quality starts dense with ratios commonly in the 8–11:1 range, so snow will run on the heavier side until the colder air arrives.
Tuesday night through Wednesday is the core window as the cold front marches west to east and temperatures fall. Snow levels settle toward 7,000 feet by Wednesday night, allowing accumulation down into more mid-mountain terrain, while the best production focuses on the upper Cottonwoods. Alta and the high terrain of Little Cottonwood look like the prime targets with totals ending up in the 11″–17″ bracket by Thursday morning, and nearby Snowbird and the Big Cottonwood duo (Brighton and Solitude) trending 10″–15″ and 10″–14″, respectively. Snow-to-liquid ratios in these canyons generally run 10–12:1, so expect fair, chalky snow rather than blower. Park City’s crest does better than its lower elevations as snow levels flirt with the mountain, yielding a more modest 6″–9″ with wetter early periods and improving quality late Wednesday.
Late Wednesday night into Thursday features lingering snow showers and gradually diminishing winds, then a shut-off from southwest to northeast. The Cottonwoods tack on a couple of inches of leftovers while Deer Valley trends lighter overall near 4″–7″, weighted to Wednesday night. Farther north, the Ogden zone is a lower-end performer with Powder Mountain roughly 3″–4″ and Beaver Mountain around 2″–3″ as snow levels oscillate near 7,400–7,700 feet for part of the event. Southern Utah benefits from the early moisture plume but contends with wind, leaving Eagle Point near 5″–7″ by late Wednesday night with ratios improving into the 10–12:1 range as temperatures drop. Friday turns dry with a gradual warming trend and improving skies.
Looking beyond, the extended outlook tilts toward a cooler, somewhat storm-friendly pattern for Utah next week with a tendency for below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation signals in the 6–10 and 8–14 day windows. That favors additional shortwaves tracking across the Intermountain West, so another round of high-elevation snow is plausible late weekend into early next week. Confidence in exact timing and strength is lower this far out, yet the combination of fast Pacific flow and periodic troughs keeps the door open for renewed snowfall chances. Plan on a dry start to the weekend, then monitor for the next wave early next week as the active pattern rebuilds.
Resort Forecast Totals
- Alta – 11″–17″ Tue night (10/14) – Fri (10/17)
- Snowbird – 10″–14″ Tue night (10/14) – Fri (10/17)
- Brighton – 10″–14″ Tue night (10/14) – Fri (10/17)
- Solitude – 10″–14″ Tue night (10/14) – Fri (10/17)
- Park City – 6″–9″ Tue night (10/14) – Fri (10/17)
- Deer Valley – 4″–7″ Wed night (10/15) – Fri (10/17)
- Eagle Point – 5″–7″ Tue night (10/14) – Wed night (10/15)
- Powder Mountain – 3″–4″ Wed night (10/15) – Fri (10/17)
- Beaver Mountain – 2″–3″ Wed night (10/15) – Fri (10/17)
