Utah Ski and Snowboard Website

Welcome:

Ogden Area:

Park City Area:

Big Cottonwood Canyon Area:

Little Cottonwood Canyon Area:

1. Start by going to snocountry.com and click on the Utah link. Here you can see all of the mountains current stats in one easy to read chart. This will give you a gauge on how much snow they currently have, what is open, and what is closed.

2. Next visit NOAA.gov. On the left side of the page, you can enter the city and state for each of the mountains. This will show you the seven-day forecast at a glance and in detail. The detail descriptions will tell you the chance of precipitation and when during the day it is expected. Use these comparisons to see which area expects to receive the most snow and plan accordingly.

3. During the morning while you get ready, visit the mountain's individual websites to see how much snow they have accumulated in the past 24hours, how much they are expecting, and what areas are open or closed. These details may change your decision or help you to finalize it.

4. Go out and enjoy the fresh powder!!!

Utah's mountains are divided into four different areas, which receive different weather patterns. Which mountains receive the most snow from a cycle of storms will determine where you go. For more information on how to monitor the weather, view the text below under "Deciding which mountain to go to". All things being equal, and the snow between the mountains not playing a part in your choice, these are the recommendations for which mountains are best during each part of a storm

DAY OF A STORM:
- Brighton: This mountain is the best spot during a storm, because it has the most protection

DAY AFTER A BIG STORM:
- Solitude: Check to see if Honeycomb has opened
- Canyons: To really enjoy The Canyons Resort you need a lot of snow coverage, so take advantage of the fresh snow.
- Alta: See if Catherine's or Devil's Castle has opened.

A FEW DAYS AFTER A STORM:
-Powder & Snowbasin: These two mountains are not as popular so they hold snow for longer. They also have a completely different weather pattern, so they will often run the opposite of the other mountains. If Alta is low on fresh powder, then Snowbasin may have more.

SEAFOOD BUFFET: The Deer Valley Resort, which does not make an appearance on this website, hosts the best dinner for seafood lovers. For a set price, you can enjoy an amazing assortment of oysters, crab, shrimp, beef, prepared fish, sushi, and various sides. As someone who frequents New York City restaurants, I can honestly say I wait all summer for the Deer Valley's seafood buffet to open. The restaurant is only open during the winter months and you need to make a reservation. Though they have a cozy set of couches by a fireplace, there is no bar or large waiting area, so do not come early for a drink or anything. They are child-friendly and you will see as many family groups as you will couples.

FIRST TRACKS: If you happen to be lucky enough to notice that a big storm is coming on a Wednesday or Saturday, then I strongly suggest paying the money and sacrificing the sleep in order to do The Canyon's First Tracks program. You can call them up to a day in advance to make your reservation. The cost is $59 in addition to a day's lift ticket, but you will be the first one on the lifts and the first group to make their fresh turns through un-touched Utah powder. You will have a resort insider and Olympic skier as your guide down the mountain. You need to be a high-intermediate to expert rider, 13 years and up. Once you have finished you can head to the Red Pine Lodge for breakfast, which is included in the price, before enjoying the rest of the day on your own.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP: Though I hate to put two food items on the list of "must see" items, Porcupine restaurant's chicken noodle soup is not to be missed. Porcupine's is located at the bottom of the Big Cottonwood Canyon, so after a hard day of skiing at Solitude or Brighton you should warm up with a bowl. The rest of the food here is great, but the creamy chicken noodle soup is what keeps us coming back. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is laid back. You can feel comfortable coming here still in your snow gear. The restaurant also boasts of a good selection of micro-brews from the area.

PARK CITY DOWNTOWN: The downtown area of Park City makes for a nice alternative to skiing. The main street is set up and decorated the way you picture an old-fashioned ski resort to be. There are a series of interesting shops, many of which are art galleries. They also have a good amount of restaurants and places to drink though the prices are higher and I often find the food not worth the increase. You can easily walk the length of Main Street casually going into whichever store appeals to you. At night, there are twinkle-lights that highlight the road and give even more of a winter wonderland atmosphere.

POWDER's ALTERNATIVE SNOW ACTIVITIES: If you are looking to spice up your mountain activities, then head over to Powder Mountain. There you can ride a snow cat up the mountain to areas you can not get to without the power of a motor, learn how to ride on a flat surface with a large kite attached to you, or get into a helicopter and let it take you to a whole new world of powder. All of these activities come at a considerably lower price then you would normally expect, making them well worth the ride outside of Park City and the Wasatch Mountains.

Utah Blue Bird

Where you will find everything you need to enjoy "The Best Snow on Earth"!

SNOW!
As of October 28, 2009 Alta had a base depth of 26" and received 11" of new snow. The bases are beggining to build! For a current report visit NOAA.gov

NEW DRINKING LAWS:
Residents and visitors are now able to enjoy a more liberal drinking law in Utah. The previous law required patrons to become members of "private clubs" in order to drink, which created a sort of 'entrance fee' for restaurants. Starting May 12th, existing restaurants will also be able to pass a drink across the bar, an action illegal under the old laws. New bars will now have to create floor plans that remove drinks from the views of patrons under 21, and all bars will have to scan I.Ds of customers who look under 35. State liquor stores will now be open on election days and starting July 1, 2010 the liability limit for bars that serve drinks to intoxicated patrons involved in accidents will increase to as much as $2 million (the highest in the nation). The state passed the bill in the hopes that it will help attract more tourists and business conventions to Utah. Even though ski areas and several national parks already draw many visitors, the hope is that removing the state's unusual drinking laws will hell attract even more. For those who already visit Utah, it will be a relief not to battle those laws anymore.

For further reading visit, NewsAhead.