Break out your chunky sweaters, colder weather is coming to Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — A series of storms this week will bring colder weather to northern Utah.

We’ve had a warm and sunny fall this year, with temperatures ranging from the 60s to the 80s. But, KSL Meteorologist Kevin Eubank told KSL at Night that our pleasant weather is coming to an end.

 

“The end of October is pretty normal for us to kind of flip a switch and get to the cooler side of things.” Eubank said. 

Storms at the end of the week will bring valley rain, and mountain snow and will drop temperatures by 20 or 30 degrees, according to Eubank. 

“So your chunky knit sweater? It is primed and ready to go,” he added. 

Snow outlook

On the heels of last year’s record-breaking snowfall, Eubank said not to expect a repeat.

“The odds of us doing it again, are slim to none,” said Eubank. 

That doesn’t mean we won’t have enough snow this year though. Long-term outlooks show that Utah will probably have an average or above-average snow year.

That’s good news for us because our snow year impacts more than our wardrobe choices.

“Winter weather and the winter water is the lifeblood of the state of Utah,” Eubank said. 

He added that summer water is a bonus, but we live off of our winter water. 

Relying on winter water

Utah’s “lifeblood” winter water replenishes our reservoirs, provides for our growing communities, and boosts our tourism industry.

“Water solves a lot of things,” according to Eubank. 

Utah’s small reservoirs are full, thanks to last year’s season, but larger reservoirs still need help.

Big reservoirs like Great Salt Lake, Lake Powell, Bear Lake, and Flaming Gorge are vital to things like water management, power generation, and ecology.

Keeping those full keeps them healthy, which in turn keeps Utahns healthy.

Eubank said that maintaining those environments makes it so “It’s not dangerous to live along the Wasatch Front because of the harmful metals and toxic dust and other things that happen if that seabed is exposed.”

For tourism, a good snow year makes for a good ski season, which is an important part of Utah’s economy.

Ski Utah reported that the ski and snowboarding visitors spent $2.54 billion during the 2023-2023 season. 

While we can’t know for sure what this snow year will look like, Eubank said he believes it’ll be an above-average year.

Related: 

• As the days start to get cooler, it’s time to winterize
• Park City Mountain Resort announces opening date for 2023-2024 season
• Why and how to winterize your vehicle
• UTA decreasing ski bus service due to driver shortage

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