Winter Weather Advisory Issued, Up to 20 Inches of Snow Possible in Utah's Mountains

A storm is enveloping Utah, and the National Weather Service’s Salt Lake City office has issued a winter weather advisory that calls for as much as 20 inches in some mountains.

The advisory applies to ski country, including the Wasatch Mountains, Western Uinta Mountains, and Central Mountains.

In it, the National Weather Service called for snow accumulations between six and 12 inches, with, locally, up to 20 inches falling in the Cottonwoods, the canyons home to Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, Brighton Resort, and Solitude Mountain Resort.

Wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour are possible.

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The first phase of the storm was set to blow through Thursday morning before easing up. Another uptick in snow is expected after 2 p.m., continuing through Friday afternoon. The possible snow totals the National Weather Service shared cover both phases.

The agency said “significant travel impacts” are likely along mountain routes, and suggested that drivers carry winter survival kits.

The wintry weather prompted the Utah Department of Transportation to enact Traction Law in the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, monitoring drivers to make sure they have the right tires or traction devices.

So far, Alta Ski Area has seen five inches of snow, per its snow report. Snowbird is reporting six inches.

“The snow should be lower density than the previous storm which will make for better skiing—some of that blower pow that we all love so much,” Snowbird’s snow reporter, Owen Henderson, wrote. “Let’s get after it today y’all, it’s shaping up to be a good one.”

Solitude and Brighton saw three inches in the past 24 hours.

For powder farming, that may make Friday the real day to consider. At Alta, the National Weather Service pins the overnight total between five and nine inches, with another one to three inches falling throughout the rest of today. Another boost of up to three inches is expected on Friday.

Then, more of that warm and sunny weather that’s become all too common this season sets in, making for what could be spring-like conditions.