Sunday is shaping up as a classic late-March spring ski day around the Wasatch: no new snow, cool enough for a decent first lap, then a fast shift into soft groomers and mashed-potato snow once the sun and warm temps do their thing.
Overall day quality: 7/10 ███████░░░
The best move today is simple: get on it early, follow the sun and aspect, and treat this like a timing game instead of a powder hunt. Little Cottonwood still has the deepest coverage, but every resort in the lineup is in spring mode this morning.
Sunday, March 22 outlook
- Storm snow: 0 inches across the board this morning.
- Best window: Early to late morning for supportable groomers before things get too soft.
- Weather trend: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy with mountain highs generally in the upper 40s to upper 50s.
- Wind: Mostly light at the resorts, though exposed upper mountain spots around Alta are seeing northwest flow and a little more bite.
- Travel note: Alta says the road is open, and parking reservations are required there from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Cottonwood canyons: where the best skiing still is
Alta
Alta is reporting 0 inches in the last 12 and 24 hours, an 87-inch base, and 260 inches for the season. Early temperatures are right around 39 to 40 degrees from base to upper mountain, with light northwest wind and partly cloudy skies. Alta is showing 3 of 5 lifts and 40 of 118 runs open.
The latest forecast for Alta calls for a high near 43 degrees today with no expected snowfall, followed by a warmer stretch into Monday and Tuesday. Translation: winter surfaces are not coming back today, so expect the best skiing on groomed lines before late-morning warming gets fully underway.
Snowbird
Snowbird is reporting 0 inches overnight, in 24 hours, and in 48 hours, with an 81-inch base and 248 inches year to date. Operations look strong at 137 of 149 runs and 14 of 14 lifts open.
Snowbird’s morning report is calling for sunny skies and a high near 57 degrees. The mountain still has plenty of coverage, but this is another day to think corn cycle and spring timing instead of chalk or fresh snow. One operational note that matters: all uphill travel is closed.
Solitude
Solitude is sitting at 63 inches of base with 224 inches on the season and 0 inches in the last 24 and 48 hours. Mid-mountain is around 40 degrees early with 8 mph east wind. The resort is showing 53 of 82 trails and 8 of 9 lifts open, with 20 groomed runs.
Solitude’s own morning guidance is useful today: arrive early for the firmest conditions, favor groomers, and watch for thin spots and emerging obstacles as the mountain softens. The resort also says all terrain gates are closed due to wet slide hazard, and Summit Express may close early again if warming builds.
Brighton
Brighton is reporting 0 inches overnight, in 24 hours, and in 48 hours, with an 83-inch base and 233 inches year to date. The mountain is listing 73 of 77 runs open, 8 of 9 lifts running, and 5 of 5 parks open.
Today’s Brighton forecast calls for a high near 48 degrees, sunny skies, and northwest wind around 8 to 10 mph. Brighton still has broad coverage, so this is a good call if you want lots of open terrain and a spring-laps day that can stretch into the afternoon once the corduroy softens.
Park City side: decent groomer skiing, but thinner than the Cottonwoods
Deer Valley
Deer Valley is reporting 0 inches overnight, in 24 hours, and in 48 hours, with a 40-inch base and 144 inches year to date. The resort is showing 131 of 202 runs and 24 of 31 lifts open.
The mountain forecast calls for sunny skies and a high near 54 degrees with north-northwest wind around 7 mph. With coverage lower than the Cottonwoods and a warm day ahead, Deer Valley looks best for front-side groomer laps and relaxed spring cruising rather than all-day exploration into every corner of the map.
Park City Mountain
Park City is reporting 0 inches overnight, in 24 hours, and in 48 hours, with a 58-inch base and 158 inches year to date. Operations are more limited here than at the Cottonwood resorts, with 83 of 350 runs and 23 of 41 lifts open, plus 5 terrain parks open.
Today’s Park City forecast calls for a high near 51 degrees, sunny skies, and northwest wind at 6 to 8 mph. The mountain’s own picks are groomers, which lines up with the day: this is a groomer-and-park setup, not a day to chase hidden winter leftovers.
Best bet by skier type
- If you want the deepest coverage: Alta, Snowbird, and Brighton.
- If you want the most reliable spring groomers: Solitude early, Deer Valley mid-morning, Park City on the groomer pods that catch the right sun.
- If you want maximum terrain open: Snowbird and Brighton stand out.
- If you hate slop: Be on your first chair, not your second coffee.
Gear for today
What to wear
- Base layer: Go light. A thin synthetic or merino top is enough for most people.
- Midlayer: Optional this morning, and probably overkill by late morning unless you run cold.
- Shell: Bring a shell for early wind and chairlift air, especially if you are heading to Alta or upper-mountain Snowbird.
- Gloves: Medium-weight gloves are the sweet spot at first chair. If your hands run hot, spring gloves will probably be enough by the second half of the morning.
Ski choice
- Best pick: An all-mountain ski with decent edge hold.
- Powder skis: Not the call today unless you just want a surfy spring feel in softening snow later on.
- Firm-snow setup: Totally reasonable if your plan is carving groomers early and bailing before the snow gets too wet.
Goggle lens
- Best lens: A low-light-to-mid tint or versatile rose/amber lens works well for this partly cloudy-to-sunny setup.
- If the sun fully wins out: Swap to a darker lens by late morning.
- If you are skiing Alta early: Their own recommendation is a low light lens, which fits the morning cloud mix.
Local read: what matters most today
This is not a day to overthink it. There is enough snow left to have a genuinely fun Sunday, especially in Little Cottonwood and at Brighton, but you want to ski the mountain while it is still organized. Early groomers, a short break, then pick off the soft corn shots before things get grabby.
If you are headed to Alta, remember the parking reservation window. If you are headed to Solitude, take the wet-slide warning seriously and don’t count on side-country style terrain staying in play. If you are headed to Snowbird, the coverage is still legit enough for a high-mileage day, but it is going to feel a whole lot more like spring than storm skiing.
What skiers are talking about this morning
- Alta chatter includes “Frank at Alta is canceled this year” from r/UTsnow.
- Snowbird talk this morning includes “Bob Day at Snowbird?”, another same-day r/UTsnow thread.
Bottom line
Go early, ski groomers first, and expect a spring progression. Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, and Solitude still offer the strongest overall skiing today thanks to deeper coverage, while Deer Valley and Park City are more about picking your lanes and enjoying the corn cycle before the afternoon gets too soft.
If you time it right, Sunday is still very worth it.