Snow will arrive in Utah’s mountains on Friday. Ski season likely will not.
Though forecasters expect a sizable snowstorm Friday, it may come too late and too close to a warm spell to help out the resorts racing to become the first in the state to start the 2025-26 ski and snowboard season.
Solitude Mountain Resort announced Monday afternoon on its Instagram account that, rather than kick off the season Friday as planned, it will have to delay its start for at least a couple days. The Big Cottonwood Canyon resort has made a habit of being among the first in the state to open. However, webcams show it has almost no snow on the ground. Plus, forecasters predict temperatures will stay above freezing through most of the week — including a high of 52 degrees Monday — taking snowmaking mostly off the table.
“The conditions are just not spectacular for that,” said Chris Tomer, a meteorologist for the forecasting site OntheSnow.
Solitude is now eyeing Sunday as its the tentative opening day.
“Good snowmaking conditions are forecasted to return on Friday,” the post said, “and we’ll be making snow at every available window.”
Brian Head Resort may also have to reset its expectations.
The state’s southernmost resort already rejiggered its opening day once, from Nov. 7 to Friday, due to balmy temperatures and lack of snow. And like its northerly neighbors, warm weather is in the forecast until Friday. However, unlike Solitude, Brian Head is expected to wring some moisture from the incoming storm. It could see between 2-7 inches, according to OntheSnow.com.
Unfortunately, Tomer said he expects that precipitation to fall between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m. — and not all as snow — which could make things tight if the resort is counting on it to open.
“It may start as rain at some of those mid-elevations,” Tomer said. “It will have to change over to snow.”
On its webpage and social media sites, Brian Head continues to list Friday as its tentative opening date.
Of the incoming storm, Brian Head General Manager Tom Pettigrew told The Salt Lake Tribune on Thursday, “It’d be great if it was there three weeks ago.” Still, he maintained faith that his crews could have at least some terrain open by this Friday.
Having the highest base in Utah, at 9,500 feet, doesn’t hurt, either.
“If we have some good humidity and a little bit of help from the cold air dipping down out of the atmosphere a little lower, those will be good nights for us,” he said. “So with those good nights and some good fortune, that’s why we feel that this next Friday is in play for us.”
Ideally, Pettigrew said, Brian Head plans to open with the Navajo Express lift, a conveyor lift and the Paradise run.
Perhaps the best news for skiers is that after the clouds finally break open this weekend, snow is in the forecast for at least another week. On Monday, in particular, the site OpenSnow.com predicts between 3-8 inches will fall on most of Utah’s ski areas.
Tomer said that might just be the beginning.
“This December, we’ll probably see above normal snowfall,” he said. “And probably January as well.”