Wasatch Update: November 2025

[AdironRider]

Benedict has been there all of a year and a half and it’s December 10th. Utahs time will come.

 

[BenedictGomez]

.....and then we will have to endure the complaints from the resorts as to how badly they are doing.

It will be interesting to see what the true financial effect is.

My WAG (Wild Ass Guess) is I'd actually expect more cancelations for Snowbird & Alta trips given those are generally more serious vacation skiers.

Ahead of this, Park City bookings were actually up well-ahead of 2024's pace, which was definitely not the narrative given all the, "I'll never go there again" and negative sentiment from the strike. Doesn't really surprise me though.

 

[thetrailboss]

Vail Resorts early season loss widens amid warm weather, declining Utah pass sales - Park Record

The West was a clear weak spot in overall pass sales. Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said declines were centered in regions where skiers tend to watch early season weather before deciding whether to buy.

www.parkrecord.com

 

[KBL Ed]

If you look at the long range (yes, take these with a grain of salt) the High pressure doesn't want to leave the west displacing to the east until Christmas Eve. That's 2 more weeks! That said, I'll happily take a snow storm as a Christmas present at this point.

Phew. I have Utah plans for Jan 10-14. Hopefully they'll get enough snow après Christmas to make it worth it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Phew. I have Utah plans for Jan 10-14. Hopefully they'll get enough snow après Christmas to make it worth it.

I would definitely monitor the situation, and cancel if things dont change pretty significantly.

Whister's been hammered, and is also EPIC, if you need a western audible. In fact I would make that swap today if you have free cancelation.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Phew. I have Utah plans for Jan 10-14. Hopefully they'll get enough snow après Christmas to make it worth it.

If you have either IKON or Epic there are better options right now. I look at the link below sorted by open trails and daydream about retiring early and going up to Lake Louise or Banf Sunshine on the IKON.

Ikon Pass Snow Report | OnTheSnow

See latest Ikon Pass ski conditions, updated daily with snowfall totals, snow depths, open lifts & terrain for all ski resorts in Ikon Pass.

www.onthesnow.com

Epic Pass Snow Report | OnTheSnow

See latest Epic Pass ski conditions, updated daily with snowfall totals, snow depths, open lifts & terrain for all ski resorts in Epic Pass.

www.onthesnow.com

 

[Hastur]

looks good after next week for you guys.

 

[Zand]

And a warmup coming here at the same time...

 

[KBL Ed]

I would definitely monitor the situation, and cancel if things dont change pretty significantly.

Whister's been hammered, and is also EPIC, if you need a western audible. In fact I would make that swap today if you have free cancelation.

If you have either IKON or Epic there are better options right now. I look at the link below sorted by open trails and daydream about retiring early and going up to Lake Louise or Banf Sunshine on the IKON.

I am keeping my eye on the situation and may change if necessary. Hope to have a better idea next week. I'm staying at a friend's house, so I am locked into Deer Valet.

 

[Dexter]

If you have either IKON or Epic there are better options right now. I look at the link below sorted by open trails and daydream about retiring early and going up to Lake Louise or Banf Sunshine on the IKON.

Ikon Pass Snow Report | OnTheSnow

See latest Ikon Pass ski conditions, updated daily with snowfall totals, snow depths, open lifts & terrain for all ski resorts in Ikon Pass.

www.onthesnow.com

Epic Pass Snow Report | OnTheSnow

See latest Epic Pass ski conditions, updated daily with snowfall totals, snow depths, open lifts & terrain for all ski resorts in Epic Pass.

www.onthesnow.com

The thing is, the Ikon Pass Snow Report doesn't make Utah look horrible. (Obviously far less good than it usually is.)
Alta 26"
Brighton 29"
Deer Valley 18" (but only 7 trails open, ugh)
Snowbird 20"

I have a trip planned for Utah the week after Christmas and I'm agonizing over whether to divert to the Northeast - Vermont or Maine. But those resorts have roughly 20".

 

[thetrailboss]

The thing is, the Ikon Pass Snow Report doesn't make Utah look horrible. (Obviously far less good than it usually is.)
Alta 26"
Brighton 29"
Deer Valley 18" (but only 7 trails open, ugh)
Snowbird 20"

I have a trip planned for Utah the week after Christmas and I'm agonizing over whether to divert to the Northeast - Vermont or Maine. But those resorts have roughly 20".

I’ll post some pics from Alta/Bird shortly. Very little open. Conditions are basically east coast—snowmaking and groomers.

 

[ss20]

The thing is, the Ikon Pass Snow Report doesn't make Utah look horrible. (Obviously far less good than it usually is.)
Alta 26"
Brighton 29"
Deer Valley 18" (but only 7 trails open, ugh)
Snowbird 20"

I have a trip planned for Utah the week after Christmas and I'm agonizing over whether to divert to the Northeast - Vermont or Maine. But those resorts have roughly 20".

1-2ft isn't even lipstick on a pig at this point. The bases of Park City and Deer Valley are completely bare off trail. We are shoveling daily to keep Alta pieced together. We have 4 more days of even warmer temperatures ahead.

I would strongly recommend skiing the northeast.

 

[BenedictGomez]

looks good after next week for you guys.

Not really. No snow for at least another week. At least the pattern's supposed to change, that's the first step. But at this point it probably wont be decent around here until optimistically mid-January.

Saw an old-timer mention this reminds him of 1976, about 50 years ago they called it, "the year without winter" - Park City didn't open until January 19th (not much snowmaking back then), and apparently tons of people went on food stamps because there was no work.

I am keeping my eye on the situation and may change if necessary. Hope to have a better idea next week. I'm staying at a friend's house, so I am locked into Deer Valet.

If you want to ski anything decent you should cancel. I'd only come if you're okay with beginner and intermediate groomers and just want to travel somewhere. I got the mail again today in a tee-shirt.

 

[thetrailboss]

1-2ft isn't even lipstick on a pig at this point. The bases of Park City and Deer Valley are completely bare off trail. We are shoveling daily to keep Alta pieced together. We have 4 more days of even warmer temperatures ahead.

I would strongly recommend skiing the northeast.

I might have seen you this morning shoveling with some other folks off the lower cat track that goes from Homerun towards Crooked Mile. I have not seen that on the lower mountain before.

 

[thetrailboss]

The thing is, the Ikon Pass Snow Report doesn't make Utah look horrible. (Obviously far less good than it usually is.)
Alta 26"
Brighton 29"
Deer Valley 18" (but only 7 trails open, ugh)
Snowbird 20"

I have a trip planned for Utah the week after Christmas and I'm agonizing over whether to divert to the Northeast - Vermont or Maine. But those resorts have roughly 20".

I can tell you that if Alta/Snowbird is not worth it under at the very least a 50" base or so and even then it is pretty sketchy. It takes a lot to cover up the rocks here. In my experience, Alta/Snowbird between 50-75" base is not too bad, but there will be thin spots. 75-100" is good. Over 100" everything will be in play in in very good shape. We're at 20-26" and those numbers come from SNOTEL sites where the snow is not disturbed or skied. Most of what is skiable is on snowmaking terrain. The extremely limited natural snow terrain is maybe 6-12" base and now moving towards the "are you insane?" rating for skiing. Even up in LCC it got too warm this week and anything off a groomer got thawed and then refroze and is not fun at all. And while that is saying bases in the 20-30" range, the base has shrunk since Sunday due to the warm temps and sun. It is pretty bad. I guess if you want to ski NE conditions in Utah you can, but the options at Alta/Bird are quite limited. Alta has a bit more open--Snowbird is Regulator Johnson down to Bassackwards to Big Emma and then Dick Bass Highway to the Tram Side. Wilbere is now sketchy.

Alta has one route down Collins that has been groomed and has snowmaking, but a third of the way down it is getting thin with small rocks and ice. There are two runs off Wildcat. There is currently one groomed run off Sunnyside. "Around the World" is open (Devil's Way ->Devil's Elbow -> Homerun) but the upper part is very thin.

Brighton is starting night operations tonight and honestly I am surprised. On Monday Crest was barely open with one groomed snowmaking run. Snake Creek is still closed. Great Western and Milly are a long ways away from opening.

I assume that you are coming out to ski. If so, I also suggest going elsewhere. BC and PNW is getting the snow as is New England. Utah, Colorado, and California ain't getting anything.

 

[thetrailboss]

Here are some pics from the last two days. You be the judge.

This is Alta Ski School staff shoveling snow to cover up a cat track in between Home Run and Crooked Mile. I have never seen that before.

Looking up Sugar Bowl....this is above 10,000 feet. Yes, those are saplings and undergrowth on the looker's left.

Top of Sunnyside looking toward Greeley. All the willows/smaller trees on Greeley (at about 11:00 in this picture and near the center of the photo) would normally be covered.

 

[Tonyr]

1-2ft isn't even lipstick on a pig at this point. The bases of Park City and Deer Valley are completely bare off trail. We are shoveling daily to keep Alta pieced together. We have 4 more days of even warmer temperatures ahead.

I would strongly recommend skiing the northeast.

I would 100% stay in the Northeast if I could. We are locked into our Colorado hotels at this point. Beaver Creek has 7 trails open up to this point and Vail has around 40, we'll just have to make the best of it and hope for a last minute storm even though the forecast doesn't look so promising over the next 2 weeks.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Here are some pics from the last two days. You be the judge.

Should also point out, he said he's skiing Deer Valley.

Alterra would pay handsomely to have as much snow at Deer Valley currently, as is in those pictures you're sharing from Alta.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I would 100% stay in the Northeast if I could. We are locked into our Colorado hotels at this point....... we'll just have to make the best of it

Make sure to eat & drink at Ein Prosit every night and you can almost justify it's worth it. Almost.