"Resorts like Park City were forced to delay their openings and accelerate their closings. Warm weather also brought rain to resorts with lower elevations, further affecting snow quality and accelerating melts. For longtime Utah skiers, the season stood in stark contrast to the typical winters that bring the "greatest snow on Earth." The tourism sector also suffered, with hotels and restaurants facing quieter periods as skiers adjusted travel plans."
Salt Lake City received 3.7 inches of snowfall in the 2025-26 winter, the lowest total in 152 years of records. The city typically averages about 52 inches annually, but unusually warm weather produced a nearly snowless season. Utah’s statewide snowpack also reached a record low since 1990, topping out at 8.7 inches of snow-water equivalent, far below the previous record. With reduced snowpack, much of the Colorado River system is expected to flow at record low levels during summer, and reservoirs will face greater strain. Ski resorts delayed openings, shortened seasons, and depended heavily on snowmaking, while rain at lower elevations worsened snow quality and accelerated melt. Tourism slowed as visitors adjusted plans, affecting mountain communities reliant on winter revenue. Scientists link such winters to climate change, which increases the chance of precipitation falling as rain rather than snow.
Read at SnowBrains
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