It was a hot, dry summer in a state battling drought.
But October rushed in delivering record precipitation, giving hope that maybe Utah would see some relief.
While soil moisture levels remain good, November has not delivered the snow that ski enthusiasts had hoped for.
Brittany Whitlam, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, said this month has been the 14th driest on record since 1874.
According to Ski Utah, the state should expect a mostly dry and mild Thanksgiving week before there are better chances for snow this upcoming weekend.
“It looks like a colder and more active start to December, however, we do not yet show obvious signs of ‘big’ snowstorms,” the association posted on its website.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City posted on X that northern Utah residents can expect a new shift in temperatures leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday.
A dry cold front is passing through the state, starting Monday, dropping evening temperatures into the 30s.
On Wednesday, as an example, it will drop to 31 degrees, so people should be prepared as the coldness takes a grip.
The federal agency said this front is not expected to bring much moisture, because a high pressure trails behind it, leaving conditions dry.
“Mild conditions kick off the upcoming week, before a dry cold front passage late Monday yields colder temperatures on Tuesday. High pressure prevails behind this frontal passage through the remainder of the week, keeping conditions dry with a gradual warming trend,” it posted on social media.
A reason to not despair
“Overall here at Ski Utah, we’re not particularly concerned about the lack of precipitation. While we are all eager to get out to ski and snowboard, the snow in Utah is one of our best and most consistent attributes,” said Alison Palmintere, communications director.
“The snow will come eventually, and we’ll all be out there enjoying powder days together soon. In the meantime, we encourage everyone to make sure they have all of their setups dialed in for the season — make sure your skis are waxed and your snow tires are on so that when the snow does come, you’re ready to hit the slopes.”
She noted it was a dry fall leading up to the 2002 Winter Games in Utah, but the snowfall came and it did not disappoint.