Utah’s fall is looking snowier and snowier as a bountiful storm system looks like it’s headed to the Beehive State over the next several days, bringing several inches of snowfall to the high-elevation areas while leaving the valleys dry. The National Weather Service’s experimental snowfall forecast highlights the Wasatch and southern mountains as prime targets for big totals, with Snowbird and Alta potentially seeing over a foot between Tuesday, October 14th, and Friday, October 17th.
Forecast Highlights
The data paints a classic Utah pattern: elevation leads. Northern and central mountains dominate, with the NWS experimental models showing the following:
- Snowbird: Low 3″, expected 11″, high 14″. Near-certain for 2″+ (95% chance), solid odds for 6″+ (65%).
- Alta: Low 3″, expected 11″, high 13″. 99% shot at measurable snow, 81% for 4″+.
- Kings Peak: Low 1″, expected 10″, high 12″. 68% chance of 4″+ up high.
- Brighton Resort: Low 2″, expected 9″, high 11″. 71% for 4″+, perfect for early turns.
- Solitude Mountain Resort: Low 2″, expected 8″, high 11″. 69% shot at 4″+.
Southern spots like Brian Head could snag 5″ expected (high 10″), with 76% odds for 4″+. Beaver Mountain looks at a lighter 1″ expected but still 22% for 4″+. Salt Lake City, Provo, St. George, and other low-altitude areas likely won’t see any snow.
Probability Breakdown For Key Resorts
Here are the chances of exceeding multiple different thresholds at top spots across Utah:
| Location | >0.1″ | >1″ | >2″ | >4″ | >6″ | >8″ | >12″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snowbird | 99% | 98% | 95% | 82% | 65% | 47% | 24% |
| Alta | 99% | 99% | 97% | 81% | 61% | 44% | 21% |
| Brighton | 99% | 97% | 93% | 71% | 48% | 33% | 10% |
| Solitude | 98% | 95% | 89% | 69% | 44% | 27% | 8% |
| Park City Mountain | 98% | 93% | 80% | 50% | 26% | 13% | 3% |
| Brian Head | 96% | 92% | 87% | 76% | 46% | 25% | 4% |
While only a few areas look like they have a good chance of stretching over a foot of snow, there’s a good chance of at least a few inches of snow landing on several mountains.
