Brian Head Resort in southern Utah is expected to receive
up to 13 inches of snow on Wednesday.
'Powder Chase' Resorts
While fans of cocktails like to say that "it's always 5 o'clock somewhere," fans of skiing can say that "it's always a powder day somewhere." The "Powder Chase of the Week" selection is based on recent or forecasted snowfall (preferably both). If you have a trust fund or timely dot-com cash-out, feel free to chase the powder at will.
Week 10: Brian Head Resort, Utah
The El Nino that was supposed to benefit Brian Head Resort this ski season has delivered on its promise to southern Utah this week. The National Weather Service predicts 6 to 10 inches of snowfall during the day on Wednesday. Another 3 inches could fall Wednesday night.
El Nino, the periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, is used as broad indicator for winter weather patterns. Snowfall researcher Tony Crocker has extensively studied the effects of El Nino and La Nina on ski resorts. According to his website, Brian Head, Arizona Snowbowl, Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico, and Mammoth Mountain in the California Sierras generally have big snow years correlating with the El Nino condition.
Through 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Brian Head reported 204 inches of snow for the season. Considering that the resort averages 350 inches annually, the only major ski area in southern Utah has already received about 60 percent of its usual total for the entire season. Featuring 640 skiable acres, Brian Head is located about a three-hour drive north of Las Vegas.
File footage of Brian Head Resort from Ski Utah
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