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he sky is bright and blue across the Wasatch Front. It is a crisp Autumn day in Salt Lake. Each season brings color to |
the mountains. Today the colors explode across the slopes as yellow, orange, and red leaves fall to the ground.
Utah’s change of seasons is stimulating and healthy. The average maximum daytime temperatures for Salt Lake’s metropolitan area range from 37 degrees Fahrenheit in January to 91 degrees 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 and Snowboard Association. 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. |
