The Science Behind The Greatest Snow on Earth®

Alta | Adam Clark

Discover why Utah snow is the best for deep-powder skiing and riding.

The slogan, The Greatest Snow on Earth^®, was coined in 1960 and has subsequently adorned Utah license plates and travel posters for decades. It would be easy for one to dismiss this as simply marketing. “Snow is snow,” you might say, “can Utah’s snow really be better?” Of course, if you are a powderhound and a meteorologist like myself, the answer to that question is simple: Yes. Utah’s snow really is better than almost anywhere else on Earth. In fact, a serious argument can be made – at least from a ski and snowboarding standpoint – that Utah does have the planet’s greatest snow.

There is not one single factor that makes Utah snow better than the competition. Rather, it is a combination of different ingredients that combine to elevate our powder beyond the rest. Let us take a look at these factors and lay out the case for why Utah really does have The Greatest Snow on Earth.

Big Cottonwood Canyon

Photo: Angie Payne

"Utah receives an astounding amount of snow, with some areas averaging over 500 inches of powder per season. Only a handful of other locations worldwide can match Utah’s snowfall quantity. During the 2022-23 season, Utah's Alta Ski Area recorded 903 inches."

Alta Ski Area

Photo: Scott Markewitz

With an inland, continental climate, Utah sees plenty of cold air dropping down from Canada into the intermountain west and northern Rockies.

Photo: Adam Clark

"When you're trying to climb a mountain, you're not going to get to the top unless you run into some obstacles," says Mawejje.

This cold air allows for low density snow – averaging just 8 percent water content. This means Utah snow is typically deep and fluffy, as seen here at Woodward Park City

Photo: Sean Sullivan

"Benefitting from a variety of weather patterns, Utah sees consistent snow throughout the winter. Averaging close to 100” per month from December through March, the state can see 20 or more days per winter with a foot or more of fresh powder."

Little Cottonwood Canyon

Photo: Ski Utah

"Storms often roll into Utah from the northwest, with warmer, moist air ahead of the system and a cold, unstable airmass in its wake. This allows for denser snow to fall at the beginning of a storm to “smooth out” the bumps. Then, low-density fluff falls on top for that signature “cold smoke” powder."

Alta Ski Area

Photo: Adam Clark

"Utah’s mountain ranges, including the Wasatch Range, are tall and jagged. From a skiing and snowboarding perspective, this allows for long vertical drops and steep slope angles, which are critical to provide momentum for riding in deep snow."

Photo: Snowbasin Resort

Photo: Courtesy of Snowbasin Resort

"Utah is home to 15 ski resorts, 11 of which are located along the Wasatch Mountain Range around Salt Lake City. No other metropolitan area in the United States has comparable access to winter recreation as Salt Lake and the Wasatch Front."

Utah promises pristine powder slopes.

Photo: Adam Clark

"Powder skiing, when conditions are right, is an art form. It is beautiful in both its simplicity and grace. Only the subtlest movements are necessary as your skis glide effortlessly through the fluff. The mountain, the snow, and gravity work in concert to give you an exhilarating feeling of flotation — total weightlessness. It's a feeling so intoxicating — so freeing — that powderhounds such as myself devote their entire lives to experiencing it again and again."

Powder Mountain superlatives include "terrain for days," "massive," "super fun" and "more than 500 annual inches of snow."

Photo: Austen Diamond

And the powder lasts for days.

Photo: Austen Diamond

"Again and again, Utah delivers."

Park City Mountain

Photo: Park City Chamber/Bureau

Snowbasin Resort

Photo: Cam McLeod

Solitude Mountain Resort

Photo: Martha Howe/Ski Utah

Brighton Ski Resort

Photo: Jay Dash

Brian Head Ski Resort

Photo: Jay Dash

Deer Valley Resort

Photo: Martha Howe/Ski Utah

Eagle Point Ski Resort

Photo: Jay Dash

Cherry Peak Ski Resort

Photo: Andrew Braden

Snowbird Ski Resort

Photo: Scott Markewitz

Nordic Valley

Photo: Courtesy of Nordic Valley

Beaver Mountain

Photo: Jay Dash

Sundance Mountain Resort

Photo: Adam Clark

About the Author – Evan Thayer

To Evan, "The Greatest Snow on Earth" is more than just a motto — it's a way of life. Born and raised in the Lake Tahoe area, Evan moved to Utah with his wife, Christine, in order to chase the dream of skiing perfect powder each day in the winter. In the summer, they enjoy camping, hiking and mountain biking. Since 2010, Evan has written snow forecasts as Wasatch Snow Forecast, and now OpenSnow, in order to help others get the most out of their Utah ski/snowboard experience. Evan is also a proud Visit Utah Ambassador and enjoys sharing his love of the Beehive State.