Weather
This forecast was completed at 3:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 16
Forecast Summary
This has been a very mild fall in Utah, but a big change is coming on Thursday and Friday.
A cold front will move through the state Thursday night, bringing valley rain and high mountain snowfall. Check mountain webcams on Friday morning as the storm wraps up.
Beyond this storm, we’ll see another stint of dry weather. Chances for snow may return as soon as the later half of next week.
Short Term Forecast
Our first solid storm of the 2024-25 winter season is on the doorstep.
Cooler air and a few waves of shower activity will impact the northern half of Utah on Thursday. I expect snow levels to struggle to fall much below 9,500’, but lightly accumulating snow can be expected in the highest terrain.
A strong cold front will move in Thursday night, bringing a burst of valley rain and heavy mountain snowfall. Periods of snow will last into Friday morning, slowly tapering off through the day. By far, the coldest airmass of the fall will move in behind the front, briefly dropping snow levels as low as 6000-6500’ as the storm ends.
We’ll be dry again by Friday night, but not before some healthy snowfall. The higher elevations in the Cottonwoods will see the most snow in Northern Utah, but I suspect Eagle Point resort down in Central Utah will compete to pull down even heavier totals.
Snow totals from this storm will be very elevation-sensitive. With that in mind, here’s what I expect to see:
- 10-15” at Eagle Point
- 10-15” for Alta & Snowbird (monitor Alta’s snow live here)
- 8-14” for Brighton and Solitude
- 4-9” at Park City resorts
- 5-10” for Brian Head
- 2-4” for Snowbasin & Powder Mountain
Long Range Prospects
Temperatures will climb to above-normal values by the weekend and stay above normal for most of next week.
Some forecast tools suggest a trough may develop over the Northwestern US by late next week. I’m not confident in this, but I’ll keep tabs on the October 24-27 window for our next chance at active weather.
