Nick Bakken-French, a field researcher for the Oregon Glaciers Institute, found himself at Brighton Ski Resort Tuesday night as snow squalls hit the area. With his beard frozen white, Bakken-French told the camera, “It’s getting a little fun up here,” before panning the camera to the storm.
Brighton Ski Resort posted Bakken-French’s video to Instagram at around 8 p.m., captioned, “Snow conditions are getting more and more intense as the night progresses.”
“Storms will continue until Thursday, heavy snow accumulation is expected and winds will be heavy at times,” the resort added. “Please stay tuned to our conditions and cameras webpage as our uphill travel light is now red and lift closures may happen. Drive safely down the canyon and stay tuned to @udotcottonwoods for canyon road updates.”
Utah Department of Transportation spokesperson John Gleason described Tuesday’s storm as a snow squall. He told Fox13 News that snow squalls “move in quickly,” dropping “a lot of snow in a short amount of time.”
Though snow squalls start and end much quicker than the typical snowstorm, “they can leave a lot in their wake,” Gleason said.
A Centerville resident posted a video of the snow squall raging in his front yard on X at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday evening. He wrote, “#Snow squall hitting Centerville right now. From mild to crazy in just a few minutes. Bring it! (but do drive safely). #utah #snowstorm.”
The Wasatch Front will remain under a winter storm watch until early Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.