Overview of the Climate of Park City/Deer Valley

Utah is know for its “powder” skiing which classifies Utah as having “The Greatest Snow on Earth”. Three World Renown ski resorts are just with a few minutes from each other - Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons. The average snowfall is 330 inches with the snowfall the greatest in January (64 inches) and December close behind (62 inches). Temperatures averages are (high/low): Nov 43/21, Dec 35/15, Jan 31/11, Feb 35/14, Mar 40/19 and Apr 52/24. Late spring into early fall are beautiful in the Wasatch Mountains as the tress come out in the spring, summers are mild with cool nights and in the fall, leaves are very colorful with the reds/oranges/yellows. Temperatures averages are: May 64/37, Jun 75/43, Jul 83/51, Aug 80/49, Sep 71/41 and Oct 58/32. Showers and thunderstorms are most likely in the July and August and mainly in the afternoons and evenings. The summer heat is dry with low humidity but when the southern moisture is around it becomes somewhat more humid.

Storms that effect Utah have their origin in the northern Pacific Ocean. As these storms move southeastward across the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains, they lose a lot of their moisture. When they hit the high Wasatch Mountains, “orographic lifting” (or the forced rising of air) squeezes out much of the remaining moisture. The secret of Utah’s unique and wonderful “powder” is the structure of its individual snow crystals. Under cold, relatively dry conditions, light crystals-type snowflakes (called “dendrites) are produced. These snowflakes are thin and symmetrical in shape (like those seen on ski industry logos) and they float slowly down through the cold atmosphere, accumulating like “fluffy down” or “powder” on Utah’s mountains. The monthly averages are: Nov 46”, Dec 62”, Jan 64”, Feb 54”, Mar 58” and Apr 46”. The coldest month of the winter-season is January with an average temperature of 31/11.

El Nino (ocean waters warmer than normal) and La Nina (ocean waters colder than normal) in the central Pacific Ocean influence storm track of winter storms. El Nino supports a southern latitude storm track and La Nina a northern-latitude storm track. Unfortunately, northern Utah is in the mid-latitudes which makes a long range weather forecast more difficult to predict. Some skiers feel the depth of the snow is important and but more importantly is the frequency of storms to keep the snow fresh. A storm every 5-7 days is an ideal scenario. However, during an active storm pattern several feet of snow can accumulate in just a short period of time.

The Wasatch Mountains are prone to avalanches. However, the ski resorts perform avalanche control early in the morning which ensures that the slopes safe for skiing during the day. If you venture into the back-country staying on flat terrain or on slopes that are not too steep (15 degrees or less).