There comes a moment when all the pressure, stress and worries of real life somehow slips away. When things like remembering to check your e-mail and voicemail seem irrelevant and rejuvenation reaches to the very depths of your soul. For many, this is the feeling of skiing or riding Utah�s Greatest Snow on Earth�. But what causes this distinctly Utah phenomenon? Analysis of Utah�s powder snow reveals water content of just four percent. In November 2001, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort logged more than 100 inches of snow fall in 100 hours. What is it about the Utah Mountains that attracts such legendary bounty of martini-dry snow? The combination of geographical features, climate and the Jet Stream lend the answer. As winter trade winds drive storms inland from the Pacific Ocean across the western United States, dry desert air squeezes moisture from the traveling weather systems. These storms cool and condense as they crash into Utah�s Rocky Mountains, dumping upwards of thirteen meters (500 inches) of extremely light and dry snow annually. Another weather phenomena contributing to Utah�s snowy bounty is what television station ABC 4 Utah Chief Meteorologist Dan Pope calls the �Great Salt Lake effect.� According to Pope, the lake is often much warmer than the air during a cold front, causing moisture to condense and rise from this large body of water as snow squalls. Winds blow these snow squalls against the mountains often resulting in snowy days several days after the initial cold front has passed through. �No other ski location in the world has the benefit of both being in a storm path and near a lake,� Pope says. Powder alerts, or notification of recent snow dumps, are available via email through Ski Utah. Simply log onto www.skiutah.com to become a Utah powder alert subscriber.

For more information about Utah�s 14 mountain resorts, visit our Website or call (801) 534-1779.

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Media Contact: Raelene Davis +1 801-534-1779 raelene@skiutah.com