

#Snow accumulation utah license
Thus, while Coloradans might feel defensive when we see Utah license plates boasting “the Greatest Snow on Earth,” we can’t say it’s entirely untrue. Utah’s small to moderate storms are six inches to a foot. “In Colorado, there are specific flows in certain directions, so some areas get skunked. It was the opportunity to move closer to skiing and-spoiler alert-better snow,” he says, adding that Utah’s snowfall is not only more bountiful than Colorado’s but easier to forecast, the flow generally moving from west to east. ( Read More: The Best Inbounds Ski Run at Every Mountain in Colorado)Įvan Thayer, an OpenSnow meteorologist and powder hound who grew up in Tahoe, California, spent six years living and skiing in Colorado before relocating to Utah, where he’s lived for the past 10 years. Winter Park lands at 11, Loveland at 12, and Vail at number 14. Colorado holds a single spot in the top 10 with Wolf Creek at number seven, averaging 387 inches. Alta is ranked number one, averaging 517 inches every winter. The site ranks North American resorts for “best snow” based on average winter snowfall, elevation, vertical, percentage of days with more than six inches of powder and monthly snow depth. OpenSnow forecasters use Z Rankings as their go-to for data. Little Cottonwood is closer to the moisture source at the Pacific Ocean, so it can pull out a little more. “The snow in Utah and Colorado is roughly the same quality. “If you’re talking purely scientifically, defining the best snow as the deepest and lightest powder, it usually goes to Little Cottonwood Canyon,” says Colorado-based forecaster and OpenSnow founder Joel Gratz.

Steenburgh coined the term “Goldilocks storms” for storms typical to Utah’s Wasatch mountains yielding just the right amount of powder for a perfect, bottomless float experience-not too little and not too much. “Alta and Snowbird get more snow than any resort in Colorado and have more deep powder days. “There really is no argument,” says University of Utah professor of atmospheric science Jim Steenburgh, avid skier, and author of Secrets of the Greatest Snow on Earth, which dissects the science behind Utah’s abundant powder. Does “better” mean more snow? Or lighter? More consistent? Longer lasting? All of the above? If you want to get technical, we asked a few experts (from both states) to weigh in. Get Your Tickets to 5280 Top of the Town!Īs the Twitter scuffle illustrates, determining the status of “better” snow is tricky.The 25 Best Neighborhoods in Denver in 2023.
