Utah have the ‘Greatest Snow on Earth’

Salt Lake City, Utah — Since 1985, the slogan “The Greatest Snow on Earth” has been a common sight on Utah license plates.

Utah is one of the driest states in the country, and by the time the storms get to the Wasatch Range, the snow tends to have a low moisture content.

The snowflakes tend to be thick and symmetrical and float slowly to the surface accumulating as fluffy “powder”. The cold, dry conditions and high altitude allow the snow crystals to have a structure that makes Utah snow unique.

A lot of the storms that move across northern Utah are followed by a northwesterly flow of cold air across the Great Salt Lake, which never freezes.

Even more, moisture is drawn from the warmer waters of the lake, and with winds aimed directly at the mountains, snowfall can continue for another day or two even after the main storm has passed.

As a result, skiers and snowboarders can find several feet of powder at the resorts.

Utah’s Cottonwood Canyons are some of the snowiest places in the world, with Alta averaging 551 inches of snow annually. On top of that, Utah has an average of 18 “Powder Days,” which means 12 or more inches in a 24 hour period, throughout the winter.