Heavy Snow Slams Utah’s Ski Resorts in Halloween Storm

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It was a white Halloween, after all.

Across Utah, snow piled up at ski resorts, in some cases to the tune of a foot or more. In Little Cottonwood Canyon, Alta Ski Area picked up 15 inches during this latest storm, according to its snow report, although amounts are probably higher at the highest elevations.

The neighboring Snowbird saw at least the same amount in 48 hours, per its snow report, making for a nice head start weeks ahead of when both resorts plan to open towards the end of the month. A recent social post from Snowbird pegged the total at 17 inches.

Alta announced that it had closed to uphill travel as it began snowmaking and on-mountain operations. Uphill travel is also closed at Snowbird, and snowmaking is under way.

Snow turned up in Big Cottonwood Canyon, too, where Brighton and Solitude got a pre-season makeover.

Further south, Brian Head saw at least nine inches, which should benefit its plans to open later this week on Friday, November 6. This time of year snow reporting at resorts is hit or miss, so Brian Head’s snow report doesn’t account for the latest storm, but views of its snow stake and slopes show solid accumulation.

While widespread, the storm was contingent on elevation, with fickle freezing levels. The base areas of lower mountains, like Park City and Deer Valley, are green with some coverage in higher altitude areas.

The precipitation also brought flooding to parts of Utah.

It was the most serious hit of winter for the near future. A bit more snow could hit some mountains in Utah mid-week, but the coming days are otherwise set to be mostly clear and relatively crisp.

Beyond Utah, ski resorts in other Western states, like California and Colorado, also saw significant snow.

The refresh arrives as ski resort opening dates become less conceptual and more concrete. Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, are already open for the season, with others set to join the party in the coming days and weeks, conditions permitting. Keep those skis waxed. It’s shaping up to be a solid start.

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This story was originally published by POWDER on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add POWDER as a Preferred Source by clicking here.