JANU-BURIED: 5 feet of snow forecasted for Utah resorts over MLK weekend

In Park City, the NWS is calling for 38-62" of snow with locally higher amounts through Sunday Jan. 15 Photo: National Weather Service

These are some mind bending snow totals with Park City Mountain 54", Deer Valley 49", Canyons Village 64", Alta 70", Snowbird 62" through Jan 14.

One of the busiest weekends of the ski season, Martin Luther King weekend is Jan. 13 – 15, and with it will come a storm like nothing we have seen this season. The National Weather Service is forecasting 5 feet of snow for Utah ski resorts this weekend.

These are some mind bending snow totals expected through Sunday:

• Park City Mountain 54″
• Deer Valley 49″
• Canyons Village 64″
• Alta 70″
• Snowbird 62″
• Brighton 69″

Powderchasers.com reports that the Wasatch is about to get hammered with snow, wind, and some brief warming on Saturday. Heavy snowfall will migrate into the Wasatch Friday afternoon to Sunday. Warmer air will land base building snowfall (medium or medium-heavy densities) Saturday, and to expect road closures in the Cottonwoods. The temps turn colder Sunday with better quality snow continuing for the entire Wasatch Range. Sunday and Monday might be the best picks of the week as terrain opens.

As of Jan. 11, the Utah Avalanche Center reports that avalanche danger is HIGH at mid and upper elevations as new snowfall and wind-drifted snow continues to add more weight on top of a buried persistent weak layer (PWL). Avalanche conditions will likely worsen with heavy snow-loading and strong winds expected from this storm. Be sure to check the Utah Avalanche Center website for the latest conditions report.

NWS Utah Resort Snow Totals Through Jan 14

Park City

In Park City, the NWS is calling for 38-62″ of snow with locally higher amounts. The winter weather advisory is in effect from 11 p.m. Jan. 11 through Sunday at 5 p.m.

Daily Snow totals in Park City

• Thursday Night: 4 – 6″
• Friday: 7 – 11″
• Friday Night: 6 – 10″
• Saturday: 5 – 9″
• Saturday Night: 10 – 14″
• Sunday: 4 – 8″
• Sunday Night: 2 – 4″

The Wasatch Back is projected to have wind gusts as high as 40 mph and travel is not recommended. To stay updated on current snow totals, sign up for TownLift’s First Chair Newsletter. For live updates on storm conditions, visit TownLift’s webcams page.