Wasatch Snow Forecast

End of Season

wasatchsnowcast — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:52:46 +0000

Thursday PM, May 16:

Lots of clouds and a few showers today (Thursday). Front will slowly sag into the area on Friday into Saturday with more numerous showers developing. Snow levels will also drop to around 8,000 ft at times this weekend with a few inches possible at the top of Snowbird. For those of us who are done skiing for the season, expect just cooler weather with periodic rain showers through Sunday. We’ll start to dry out and warm up again heading into the middle of next week.

WSF

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We are, for the most part, done forecasting for the 2012-13 winter season. We will make occasional posts through the month of May and then post later this summer as signs of winter begin to appear. Thank you for your support and readership. As always, it’s a pleasure to bring you WSF! If you’d like to make a donation, you can do so by clicking here. Otherwise, we’ll see you next year!

Thanks,

Evan – Wasatch Snow Forecast

May showers

wasatchsnowcast — Sat, 04 May 2013 03:24:25 +0000

Friday, May 3, 2013

With the exception of a few snow showers the other day, we’ve had a relatively quiet go of thing the last few weeks. That is set to change with moisture beginning to stream into the area this weekend. It’s still going to be relatively warm and we’ll mostly just have a small chance for high elevation afternoon showers tomorrow and Sunday. A low pressure system, however, will work its way into the area on Monday through the middle of next week bringing more widespread showers and thunderstorms to the area. Yes, there will likely be some snow, but it probably will be confined to above 8-9k feet. Sometimes heavier showers can push the snow levels down, so snowflakes will be possible down to 7,000 feet next week in these bursts.

I don’t think this will be a major storm in any way, shape or form, but it could offer a bit of creamy high elevation turns at times next week. It will also likely hamper any summer outdoor activities you’ve got going on. So just an FYI . . .

WSF

Changes coming

wasatchsnowcast — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:30:15 +0000

It’s been a full week since our last post… mostly because tranquil weather has settled over the area and there hasn’t been much need for snow forecasts. Yesterday was Alta’s last day and Snowbird is now the lone mountain standing. There are still a few more weeks left to get your Spring shred on before we start the long wait till next season.

The main reason for posting today is to inform you that it does look like some changes are taking place. This is no surprise as May in Utah almost always brings at least a few periods of cooler weather and mountain snow showers. The first front will move in tonight into tomorrow and will drop temperatures by close to 20 degrees across Northern Utah. This front is mostly dry, so aside from a few clouds and an isolated shower, I don’t think we’ll see much precip. Temps will rebound a bit on Thursday-Saturday before another front approaches on Sunday. This one could bring a bit more moisture. It’s still early to know for sure. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see an inch or two of snow in the high elevations.

Beyond the weekend, there are a few signs in the models that we’ll see a continuation of occasional front passages through the first week of May. This will keep a cap on our warming and may even bring some snow to the mountains. Again, it’s too early to know anything for sure. But don’t put away your sweatshirt just yet.

WSF

Monday update

wasatchsnowcast — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:29:09 +0000

A few showers around the area today. Afternoon heating should destabilize things a bit and allow for more scattered showers into this evening. I don’t think there’s enough for much in the way of accumulations, but if one area gets under a heavy convective shower, you can’t rule out a quick inch or two.

Dirty ridge will persist through the end of the week, keeping intermittent clouds and some breezes. It will also cap our warming potential with temps remaining around seasonal norms.

WSF

Spring has sprung

wasatchsnowcast — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 13:34:42 +0000

Yesterday was a great last powder day for many of us. Generally speaking, snowfall will ease up for awhile through the rest of April. Yes, there’s a chance for a few flakes here and there through the end of the month. And who knows what May will bring. But for right now, any imminent threat for accumulating snow looks to be over.

Today will be sunny and great Spring skiing. I think cold temps overnight will create a very firm layer early this morning but everything should soften up later this morning in the sunshine. Afternoon corn snow possible.

We will be clipped by two waves, one later tonight and another on Monday night. These systems are weak to begin with and are taking most of their already limited moisture north and east of the area. It’s not out of the question for us to get a few showers in far northern Utah. Though any accumulation looks unlikely.

An extended break for later this week with warmer temps and more Spring skiing. The upcoming weekend looks mostly dry, but there have been a few model runs that have showed some weak energy sneaking into the Great Basin and the Wasatch. We’ll have to watch that. Otherwise, it looks like Spring has sprung.

Here’s one last look at just one of the many powder turns that went down yesterday in the Wasatch:

April 20 Powder Turn

WSF

Last call for powder ?

wasatchsnowcast — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:23:49 +0000

Looks like another forecast went almost exactly according to plan. Forecast was for 3-6″ in the Wasatch with up to 8″ in the Cottonwoods. Right now, Cottonwood resorts are reporting 6″ at 7am. Orographics are combining well with a tiny bit of lake enhancement to keep snow going in the high elevations. That should continue for much of the morning before we start to dry up and clear out this afternoon. We’ll probably end up with about 8″ in the Cottonwoods to nourish your Saturday powder cravings.

We’ll see a weak system or two this week that will cool us down at times with a few clouds and breezes, but there is no longer any imminent threat of snowfall after today. Could this be it for powder for the 2012-2013 Winter season? May usually offers up at least one or two decent powder days, so I doubt it. But by then, Snowbird will be the only resort open, so for many of you, today is likely your last chance at powder. So enjoy it!

WSF

Saturday powder likely . . .

wasatchsnowcast — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:54:47 +0000

Everything still looking good for a bit of powder for tomorrow. Clouds will increase this morning with a chance for showers by late this afternoon. Valley rain showers and mountains snow will become more widespread tonight. System should be mostly out of the area by tomorrow with only a few showers remaining. Right now it looks like 3-6″ in the Wasatch with up to 8″ in favored locations like the Cottonwoods.

Tomorrow is going to be terrible! Stay home. ;-)

Another weak system will clip us early next week. One or two additional systems will move into the northern Rockies later next week and will keep a cap on our warming for at least a few days.

WSF

If you’ve been stuck at work this week and tortured by the seemingly never-ending stream of images of awesome April skiing, you might just have your shot for a bit of powder on Saturday. After quiet days today and Friday, the next system will move into Northern Utah Friday night. It does not look overly strong, but 3-6″ are certainly possible. Just enough to make your Saturday Spring ski day extra special. This weekend is Brighton’s closing weekend. Alta and Snowbird will be open as well. Bottom line: Saturday will be a chance for powder, Sunday will be warmer and good ski/grill weather.

There’s the possibility for another round of snowfall Sunday night into Monday but the models don’t quite agree on that one yet. EC is much more optimistic than the GFS. Both models then show a pretty good ridge setting up later next week for some real Spring-like conditions. We’ve had a really good run of ski days in April – Old Man Winter was just saving his energy for the local die hards, I guess.

We’ll take it!

WSF

Cool and quiet . . .

wasatchsnowcast — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:02:22 +0000

Storm is exiting the area, Cottonwoods saw storm totals since Sunday of between 12-15″. Might not seem like that much as it was slow to fall and would settle quite a bit in between spurts. But it’s more valuable moisture and made for some great skiing.

Today, expect cool temps and scattered snow showers in the high country. We’ll warm up for Thur and Friday before the next system quickly moves through on Friday night. Looks like that could drop a few more inches. Another weak system possible for Sunday night into Monday. Then I think we ridge up for an extended period of Spring-like conditions.

Happy Wednesday!

WSF

Another tantalizingly tasty Tuesday

wasatchsnowcast — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:56:54 +0000

Last night the frontal boundary quickly start to lift north and gave me hope. However, as the boundary started to pivot, it dropped south again and is now down near St. George. A couple inches still fell overnight and it is snowing right now in the Cottonwoods as radar is currently filling in along the Wasatch Front. Snow should fall for a good portion of the day but it likely won’t be overly heavy. I still think we’ll get 3-6″ total by late tonight in the Wasatch. That will bring storm totals since Sunday to 8-14″ in the Cottonwoods. Hopefully we’ll get under a good snow band at some point in the next 24 hours that will help us boost our totals.

The Uintas and the mountains of Central Utah will see the best snowfall today, so if you’re looking for some deeper backcountry powder, those are the places to head.

We clear out late Wednesday and Thursday. A weak system will move in late on Friday with a few inches of snow possible above 7,000 ft for Saturday.

Enjoy today and tomorrow, a few inches of fresh snow from last night on top of fresh snow on both Saturday and Sunday night with the mountain to yourself. Can’t beat that!

WSF

April continues to grind out more snow . . .

wasatchsnowcast — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:23:41 +0000

Monday PM update:

Snow showers eventually dissipated today, but not before dropping a few more inches in the high elevations. The stalled boundary currently extends from Southwest Utah, near Beaver, east through south-central Utah and along the I-70 corridor all the way east of Denver. Along this boundary, heavy snowfall has been falling all day, especially in Colorado. If you are cursing our luck with closing day, they are having one of their biggest powder days of the year the day after most resorts closed. Bummer!

This stalled boundary will start to slowly migrate north tonight but I don’t think it will make it close enough to really do all that much for the Cottonwoods. There will still be moisture and instability throughout Utah tonight, so expect snowfall to increase even outside this boundary. The boundary will start to pivot tonight and take on a more north-south component. I think most precipitation will stay south and east of the Central Wasatch, with the Uintas and the mountains of central Utah seeing the most snow. I still think the Cottonwoods will see 3-6″ additional snowfall somewhere between now and Wednesday morning. It’s just impossible to pinpoint exactly when or where the best snowfall will occur. In all likelihood, we’ll end up with some locations that are well over 6″ and some that don’t even reach 3″, but I’m just generalizing for now. It’s a complicated storm, but it definitely has the potential to surprise us. Hopefully Brighton and Snowbird do particularly well, considering they are the only ones left open.

Update in the AM…WSF

As expected, we had a snow band overnight that put down an inch or two of snow on grassy surfaces in the valleys and 3-6″ in the Cottonwoods. Should make for some fun skiing again today. It will be mostly a break in the weather through the day.

As the trough itself moves into the area tonight, there will be an increase in precip especially from Southern Utah north into the Uintas. As the trough moves east, it will pivot this precip westward into the Wasatch, favoring the Wasatch Back. It’s hard to predict how much snow will make it over into areas like the Cottonwoods, but I’d expect with this much moisture and a long duration event, we should get a decent band of snow at some point between tonight and Wednesday night. So we’ll stick with another 3-6″, bringing storm totals to 6-12″ from Sunday night through Wednesday. Wednesday we’ll clear out but there will be a cold, unstable airmass over head. We could see a bit of lake effect in places.

Warmer weather for Thursday and Friday before the next system moves in Friday night into Saturday. This is a fast mover but has been trending stronger. For now I still think another 3-6″ is in order.

Enjoy!

WSF