Light snowfall expected overnight, zero-degree temps for MLK weekend crowds

Wasatch mountains could see 3 to 7 inches of snow by Saturday afternoon

PARK CITY, Utah – A strong, mostly dry cold front is sweeping down from Canada, currently positioned over Montana. It is expected to reach Utah later this afternoon, clearing up hazy skies along the Wasatch Front. Northern Utah will remain on the western edge of this moisture, keeping snowfall totals fairly low for most parts of the Wasatch. There is a decent chance for some lake effect snow overnight Friday and throughout the day Saturday, which could help boost snow totals for upper Little Cottonwood, as we’ve seen with the previous two Saturday storms that both dropped over 20 inches at Alta.

Expected snow totals through Saturday evening

• Park City town/base: 1-2”
• PCMR / Deer Valley: 2-5”
• Cottonwood Canyons: 3-7”

Snowfall should taper off for most areas by around midday Saturday. Very cold temperatures will remain in place after the frontal passage tonight and the rest of the holiday weekend, with overnight lows dipping below zero and highs in the single digits in the Wasatch mountains. The weeks following the winter solstice are typically the coldest of the year. Large scale high pressure looks to remain in place over the western U.S. for the foreseeable future following tonight’s storm.

Looking statewide at the snowpack as we now cross into the latter half of January, northern Utah basins remain near normal, whereas most areas in southern Utah are well below normal as compared to the 30-year average.