The
sky is bright and blue across the Wasatch
Front. It is a beautiful warm spring day in Salt Lake.
Each season brings color to the mountains. Today the
color is green and hikers are thinking of trying new
mountain trails.
Utah’s change of
seasons is stimulating and healthy. The average maximum
daytime temperatures for Salt Lake’s metropolitan
area range from 37°F in January to 91° in July.
Low humidity and lots of sunshine are two favorable
aspects of Utah’s weather. In Salt Lake County,
the summer daytime relative humidity averages less than
30 percent, and the sun shines an average of 237
days a year with 67 percent annual sunshine.
Annual precipitation varies from less than five inches
in Utah’s Great Salt Lake desert to more than
60 inches in the northern mountain ranges. Snow frequently
accumulates to depths of 10 feet or more at many
Wasatch Mountain ski resorts. Because of the state’s
inland location and because winter storms pass over
the Great Salt Lake (which draws excessive moisture
from the clouds) Utah’s snow is unusually dry
and is considered by many skiers to be the world’s
greatest powder snow. This is only one reason why
Utah was chosen to host the 2002 Olympic Winter Games
and why Utah is home to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Team. The Olympic venues continue to be used for national
and international competition. For serious and recreational
skiers, Utah’s ski resorts consistently offer
superior snow.
The state’s altitude ranges from a low of 2,200
feet in Washington County in southern Utah, often referred
to as “Utah’s Dixie,” to more than
13,500 feet in the Uinta Mountains. Salt Lake City sits
at an elevation of 4,330 feet above sea level.
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