Wasatch Update: November 2025

[thetrailboss]

It was passholder day at Snowbird, so it gave me an excuse to venture up LCC to scope out things. I've been glued to the webcams and weather forecasts. While the webcams show some snowmaking going on at Alta, the reality on the ground is pretty damn grim. It's been too warm and we've had no snow due to another "death ridge" of high pressure forming off the California coast and driving storms to the north and south (a "splitting" pattern). This has been a recurrent weather phenomenon in the 14 years we've been out here. Ski forecasters have been predicting the last three weeks that it would end "next week", and consistent with that, we're supposed to get "something" for snow this coming weekend. If you are planning any trips out here, you'd better wait......

Alta:

Snowbird:

And a lot of snowcats ready to go.....

 

[Hastur]

 

[snoseek]

It will come in hard at some point.

 

[Smellytele]

View attachment 66894

Never laugh at the less fortunate. Karma is a bitch.

 

[machski]

I hear Arizona Snowbowl got a good base packed in recently. Guess the southern split is producing.

 

[thetrailboss]

I hear Arizona Snowbowl got a good base packed in recently. Guess the southern split is producing.

Yep. I saw that.

 

[BenedictGomez]

the reality on the ground is pretty damn grim. It's been too warm and we've had no snow due to another "death ridge" of high pressure forming off the California coast and driving storms to the north and south (a "splitting" pattern). This has been a recurrent weather phenomenon in the 14 years we've been out here.

Isn't this the worst you've seen though?

I'm reading "old-timers" comments on Park City threads that claim they've never seen a season start this bad. Or is it just recency bias on their part? I mean, even at 10,000 feet there's like only a few inches, so for all intents and purposes there is literally no "start" even yet.

And I thought last year was bad! I'd take last year's "start" over this in a heartbeat. I walked to my mailbox in a tee-shirt again today.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I was spent a week traveling across Colorado 11/8-16. No snow anywhere other than a dusting on north aspects above tree line. I mean truly a dusting...

If there is a southern split it has been missing Wolf Creek Pass as It was dry as a bone there

 

[4aprice]

I think I'm having a reverse seasonal dis order due to this. Motivation level has been lowered to the point where I did not even get down to the "ramp" down in the
Meadowlands this fall.


Getting season underway at Granby Friday which looks like this this morning. Hope to get the fever back



Looks like Winter Park got a little last night

 

[raisingarizona]

A slow start that doesn’t create a PWL is a beautiful thing if you like skiing big backcountry objectives in mid winter, fresh snow conditions.

 

[thetrailboss]

Isn't this the worst you've seen though?

I'm reading "old-timers" comments on Park City threads that claim they've never seen a season start this bad. Or is it just recency bias on their part? I mean, even at 10,000 feet there's like only a few inches, so for all intents and purposes there is literally no "start" even yet.

And I thought last year was bad! I'd take last year's "start" over this in a heartbeat. I walked to my mailbox in a tee-shirt again today.

No. We've had at least one or two other starts like this. One in about 2017 or so in which we did not get skiing until early-December.

 

[jimk]

Hey @thetrailboss I was up at Snowbird too on Nov 23. Sorry I missed you. I didn't go up to Alta, From your pics it looks quite a bit whiter than Snowbird.
Here's a couple more pics:
Look at Mt. Superior on the other side of the canyon from Snowbird slopes:


Very striking cloud inversion coming down the access road about 3PM, in fact it never really lifted from the valley by sunset. This was fog, not smog:


They gave out some free t-shirts to pass holders. The letters stand for Give Me Trail Boss


This is a view of the Wasatch Front on 24 Nov 2025, somewhat brown still, entrance to Big Cottonwood Canyon is center, Little Cottonwood Canyon is far right.


I'm having a family gathering out here this week, so no skiing is helping me score points with wifey in the areaS of household chores and food prep

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

 

[BenedictGomez]

From your pics it looks quite a bit whiter than Snowbird.

Anything white is almost certainly aided by some snowmaking. I can look out my window and see the top of Brighton, and there's no snow. Even at higher elevation it might be a couple inches. Starting Saturday, highs will only be in the 30s for a while though, praise the Lord.

 

[raisingarizona]

What does "Give Me trail Boss" mean?

 

[jimmywilson69]

I think the shirt says

"Give Me The Bird"

 

[thetrailboss]

What does "Give Me trail Boss" mean?

I think the shirt says

"Give Me The Bird"

OK, now that is funny. Assuming that I am the poster child for Snowbird! You made my day. I'd love it if they paid me to ski there.....or at least gave me free skiing for the privilege of using my name and likeness!

 

[jimk]

Was back up at Snowbird 26 Nov 2025 taking a swim at the Cliff Lodge. It's a little bit white near the summit. As I left in the evening they were making snow on Chickadee in 35 deg temps.

 

[thetrailboss]

Solitude opens tomorrow. Barely.

Alta’s social media had a reel with a song that had “Sunday” in the lyrics. Not sure if that was a sign…..

 

[BenedictGomez]

Was back up at Snowbird 26 Nov 2025 taking a swim at the Cliff Lodge.

You don't strike me as someone who pool crashes places, do you have family that work there?

 

[thetrailboss]

You don't strike me as someone who pool crashes places, do you have family that work there?

(They used to sell day passes for the spa on the roof)