Since Mitt Romney became the GOP Presidential Nominee, if you didn’t already know that Salt Lake City, Utah hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, you do now. Only knowing that fact and nothing else about Utah’s climate, it is pretty reasonable to conclude that Utah receives a high amount of precipitation each year. How else did they get all of that snow for the Winter Olympics? Provided below is a brief description of Utah’s climate, its average precipitation, and why, despite the surprising statistics, Utah can still claim to have the “greatest snow on earth.”
Utah has what is called a “cold desert” climate. Due to a high altitude and latitude it has cold winters, however, because of its location (Utah’s desert neighbors include Arizona and Nevada), it receives very little precipitation. In fact, according to the NOAA National Climatic Data Center, Utah ranks 49th out of the 50 states when comparing annual precipitation. In other words, Utah is the 2nd driest state in all of the United States! Whoa, whoa, wait a second… the 2nd driest state in the nation hosted the biggest winter event in the world? Yep. Sure did. In order to understand this phenomenon, it’s important to know a few things about Utah geography.
Utah is separated into three regions, or what are called “land areas”: the Rocky Mountains, the Basin and Ridge Region, and the Colorado Plateau. The main reason Utah is so dry is because one of these land areas, the Basin and Ridge Region, is one of the driest regions in the United States. This particular land area extends across most of western Utah, skewing Utah’s precipitation rate, and thus explaining why Utah is so dry when compared to other states on a national scale. Knowing this, let’s now compare that region to another land area in Utah, the Rocky Mountains. The “Rockies”, as they are informally called, contain Utah’s highest peaks and glacial activity. And yes, this is where the ski resorts are (minus Brionhead Resort, which is located in the Colorado Plateau).
Ok, I understand why Utah is so dry but yet has many ski resorts, but a lot of states receive snow… So why do Utahns think their snow is so much better?”
Utah Meteorologist and Ski Utah Blogger, Jodi Saeland, answered this very question in a 2009 interview by the Weather Channel. She gives a few reasons as to why Utah may have the “greatest snow on earth.” First, she stated that on average Utah resorts receive an annual 540 inches of snow! That’s an incredible amount – all credit going to the Rocky Mountain region discussed above. Second, because Utah is a cold desert the snow is very dry, creating something skiiers and snowboarders dub “powder”! Powder is light, fluffy, and easy to navigate through, making it the optimal snow condition for slope enthusiasts. And third, because of the Great Salt Lake (comprised of well, salt, which prevents freezing), Utah experiences a unique “lake effect.” The lake effect means that after a storm has moved through, which brings a lot of cold air, the lake emits warm air, causing the storm to continue to release heavy snowfall in the mountains even though it has stopped snowing in the valley. Basically, Utah has the “perfect storms,” causing a unique weather pattern and a very different skiing experience.
Utah’s unique snow pattern and climate give fans of Utah’s slopes all the ammunition they need to declare that Utah has the “greatest snow on earth.”
