Weather
Utah’s warm, springlike start gives way to a more active stretch with a light shot Sunday night into Monday, steadier mountain snow Tuesday through Thursday, and another colder storm window taking aim at the weekend into early next week. Snow levels run high at times midweek, so lower-mountain snow quality will swing from wet and dense to more wintry as colder air mixes in. The best midweek totals favor the upper Cottonwoods and the far northern mountains, with gusty southwest winds occasionally impacting exposed ridgelines. Looking ahead, the late-weekend into early-week setup carries the most upside for classic turns thanks to sharply falling snow levels and improving snow ratios, though the details still depend on how the timing shakes out.
Sunday night (02/08) into Monday (02/09) brings a weakening front with light snowfall focused on the far northern mountains, plus a small refresh elsewhere. Beaver Mountain has the cleanest signal for accumulation, with snow levels around 5,500–6,000 feet keeping it all snow at the base and snow ratios in the 10–11:1 range, so expect fairly dense but skiable new snow. In the northern Wasatch and the Cottonwoods, Monday looks more like a quick coating with a better chance for a modest bump Monday night as snow levels briefly dip closer to the low 5,000s feet. The HRRR supports the quick, light nature of this opening round and only covers into Monday, while the ECMWF and the AIFS keep this front on the modest side overall. The GDPS runs wetter with the Monday-night piece, so keep expectations realistic and treat any bigger Monday-night bump as a bonus.
Tuesday (02/10) through Thursday (02/12) is the main midweek snow cycle, delivering the most dependable stretch of new snow for the northern Wasatch, the Cottonwoods, and the Bear River Range. Totals through Thursday favor the upper Cottonwoods, generally landing in the 8″–14″ neighborhood, with Park City and Deer Valley in the 4″–9″ range and the far north (Beaver and Powder Mountain) around 5″–8″. Snow levels rise into the low 7,000s feet Tuesday night and Wednesday, which puts the rain line near the base at Deer Valley (6,570 feet) and occasionally near the base at Park City (6,900 feet), so expect wetter snow or brief rain at the very bottom while upper mountain terrain stays snow. Snow ratios run mostly 9–13:1 in the Cottonwoods with a dip toward the 6–10:1 range during the warmest periods Tuesday night and Wednesday, so the best turns should come when ratios rebound later Wednesday into Thursday. The GFS and the ICON are more aggressive with a focused Wednesday-night burst, while the ECMWF and the AIFS keep the snow more spread out and lighter overall. The GDPS is the wettest solution and helps explain the upper-end potential if that heavier banding sets up, though confidence in exact placement remains limited. Expect periodic southwest ridge gusts in the 40–55 mph range around Tuesday night and Wednesday, especially across the higher Wasatch ridgelines.
A colder, higher-upside storm window shows up between Saturday night (02/14) and Tuesday (02/17), with snow levels trending much lower and snow quality improving as temperatures fall into the teens in the mountains. Snow levels in this window drop into the 3,000s to 4,000s feet in many areas, which would put nearly all terrain in play for snow rather than rain, including the lower bases around Park City and Deer Valley. Snow ratios also trend upward into the mid-teens and even near 18:1 at times, so any meaningful precipitation in this window should translate to lighter, fluffier snow than the midweek warm pulse. The ECMWF and the GFS tend to focus the core of this event around Monday into Monday night, while the GDPS is more aggressive with earlier and heavier totals, and the AIFS leans lighter overall. The broader pattern supports continued storm chances with a cooler tilt as mid-February progresses, so the odds stay favorable for more opportunities even beyond this report window if the troughy pattern holds.
Resort Forecast Totals Sun night (02/08)–Fri (02/13)
- Brighton – 9″–14″
- Alta – 9″–13″
- Solitude – 8″–13″
- Snowbird – 8″–12″
- Park City – 6″–9″
- Powder Mountain – 5″–8″
- Beaver Mountain – 5″–8″
- Deer Valley – 4″–7″
- Eagle Point – 4″–6″
