salt lake city

Remembering Utah’s Legendary 1960s-Era Snowball Express Ski Train: A Rolling Party That Bypassed Strict Liquor Laws

snowball express utah ski train

In the mid-1960s, a journey from Salt Lake City to the burgeoning ski slopes of Park City, Utah, typically meant a straightforward drive. But for six winter seasons, Union Pacific offered an alternative that turned a simple commute into a legendary, rolling celebration. Known as the “Snowball Express,” this special ski train operated between 1965 and 1971, capturing a distinct […]
Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Utah Outdoor Community Sounds Alarm Over Proposed Massive Data Center Near Great Salt Lake

utah valley data center

A massive industrial development proposed for northern Utah is sparking intense backlash from skiers, snowboarders, and outdoor enthusiasts who fear the project could accelerate the collapse of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and degrade the state’s famous winter snowpack.  The controversy surrounds the Stratos Project — a proposed 40,000-acre hyperscale A.I. data center campus in Box Elder County’s Hansel Valley, […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Utah and Colorado Rail Advocates Push for Inter-State Ski Train Network Ahead of 2034 Winter Olympics

moffat tunnel

The awarding of the 2034 Winter Olympic Games to Salt Lake City has sparked a coordinated push from passenger rail advocates in both Utah and Colorado. Desiring to capitalize on federal infrastructure funding, transit groups are urging lawmakers to establish an interconnected passenger rail network linking the two prominent skiing states before the Olympic torch is lit. Related: Colorado’s Mountain […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Utah Avalanche Center Legend Craig Gordon Retires After 27 Years

Craig gordon utah

The Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) is losing its most recognizable and energetic public figure. Craig Gordon, known throughout the ski community for his distinctive top knot, surfer-infused vocabulary, and boundless enthusiasm, retired from full-time forecasting this spring. His departure concludes a 27-year tenure that fundamentally modernized winter safety education. Related: Utah Avalanche Center Releases Final Report on Brighton Avalanche That […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Virtual Tour Visualizes “Steel Sky” Impact of Proposed Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT, Gondola

little cottonwood gondola

As the legal battle over Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) intensifies, the nonprofit group Canyon Guard has launched a virtual tour titled “Under a Steel Sky” to illustrate the visual and physical footprint of the proposed world-record gondola. The project, which has been selected by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) as the preferred solution to the canyon’s notorious “red […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Salt Lake City, UT, Records Warmest Winter in 150 Years

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City has recorded its warmest winter since record-keeping began in 1874, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorological winter—which includes December, January, and February—ended Saturday, and data released Sunday show the city averaged 40.7 degrees Fahrenheit over the three-month period. That is 7.6 degrees above normal, making the 2025-26 season the warmest winter in 150 years of records. […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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11-Year-Old Girl Killed in Avalanche Near Brighton Ski Resort as Utah Marks Another Backcountry Tragedy

brighton utah

An 11-year-old girl was killed Thursday after being caught in an avalanche while backcountry skiing with her family near Brighton Ski Resort, marking another fatal slide during a difficult winter for Utah’s avalanche safety community. On Wednesday, a father was killed by an avalanche in the Wasatch when he was snowmobiling with his son. The avalanche occurred in terrain adjacent […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Father Killed in Utah Avalanche While Snowmobiling with Son, Marking Season’s First Fatality

Wasatch Sunrise

One person was killed in an avalanche in Utah’s Wasatch backcountry on Wednesday, February 18, marking the first fatal avalanche of the 2025-26 winter in the state. The slide occurred in terrain between Snake Creek and Ant Knolls, an area east of the Cottonwood Canyons, officials said. Initial information indicates two people were snowmobiling when the avalanche was triggered Wednesday […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Utah Snowpack Hits Record Lows as Nearly Half of Measurement Sites Fall Into Uncharted Territory

Utah’s snowpack has fallen to its lowest levels on record for this point in the season, with nearly half of the state’s monitoring sites now reporting all-time lows, according to data shared by KSL News. As of February 1, 67 of Utah’s 139 snowpack measuring sites are at their lowest levels ever recorded for the October 1-February 1 period since […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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Salt Lake City, UT’s, Snow Crisis: The Least Snowy Winter on Record

Salt Lake City, Utah, typically a premier destination for world-class skiing, is currently experiencing the least amount of snowfall for a winter on record. According to Matthew Johnson, a Salt Lake City-based meteorologist, the disparity is staggering. While the average snowfall for this point in the winter is 28.2 inches, a measly 0.1 inches has fallen in Salt Lake City. […]
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Greg Wedow |
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Alta, UT, Parking System Draws Backcountry Backlash as Users Report Sold-Out Early Morning Reservations and Empty Lots

alta,

A growing number of backcountry skiers are raising concerns about parking access near Alta Ski Area, after reports of sold-out reservations coincided with visibly underused parking areas in Upper Little Cottonwood Canyon. The issue surfaced publicly this week after the Wasatch Backcountry Alliance (WBA) posted that it is actively communicating with the Town of Alta to better understand ongoing access […]
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Martin Kuprianowicz |
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