Nobody told winter it was supposed to be done. April 1 is delivering a legitimate surprise across the Salt Lake mountains — 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow fell overnight, snow is still coming down this morning, and a more significant cold storm is lined up for Thursday. If you wrote off the season last week, today is the reminder that the Wasatch isn’t finished with you yet.
Overall day quality: 8/10 ████████░░
This is a real powder day, even if the snow is on the heavier side. Get out there before the afternoon showers taper off and the crowds figure out what just happened.
Today’s quick take
- New snow: Brighton leads with 8 inches overnight. Solitude is at 7 inches, Alta and Snowbird each sit at 6 inches. Park City picked up just 1 inch.
- Best move: Head straight to the Cottonwoods. Alta and Snowbird have the deepest overall coverage and the most terrain open. Brighton is your call if you want the freshest snow total.
- Canyon conditions: Both SR-190 (Big Cottonwood) and SR-210 (Little Cottonwood) are open with wet lower roads and slush in the upper canyons this morning. UDOT is advising drivers to reduce speed and be prepared for changing conditions. Make sure your vehicle is properly equipped.
- Weather: Snow showers are continuing through midday across the Cottonwoods, with thunder possible before 3 p.m. Highs near 32°F at Alta, Brighton, and Solitude, and around 41°F at Snowbird. Tonight it drops hard — lows in the low-to-mid 20s at most resorts — setting up Thursday’s storm beautifully.
- What’s coming: OpenSnow forecaster Evan Thayer called it Wednesday morning: “Dense snow fell overnight. A colder storm arrives for Thursday. The snow could be heavy at times.” Thursday is shaping up to be the bigger day.
Mountain-by-mountain conditions
Alta
Alta is reporting 6 inches overnight, an 82-inch base, and 265 inches for the season. All 5 of 5 lifts are spinning, with 56 of 118 runs open. The resort’s own comments note that nearly 100% of their terrain is skiable with the coverage they’re holding. Temps are sitting right at 32°F with snow showers expected to continue through early afternoon. High near 32°F, west wind at 8–10 mph. Thunder snow is possible before 3 p.m., which is either exciting or a signal to take a coffee break depending on your risk tolerance. Alta closes April 26, so there are still 25 days left to make use of what’s one of the deepest bases in the Wasatch right now.
Solitude
Solitude dropped a perfect April Fools’ Day line in their morning report: “No tricks, just a surprise return to winter with 7 inches of new snow overnight.” That about covers it. They’re showing a 58-inch base, 231 inches for the season, 29 of 82 trails open, and 7 of 8 lifts running. High today near 32°F with continued snow showers. Solitude is open until May 17, giving it the longest runway of any resort on this list — and if Thursday’s storm delivers, it could push season totals to an impressive number.
Brighton
Brighton leads the overnight snow derby with 8 inches, and they’re leaning into the moment: their morning note acknowledged today is “bringing a little bit of everything” and that fresh layer is sitting right on that edge between winter and spring. Base is at 59 inches, season total 241 inches, with 57 of 77 runs open, 7 of 9 lifts running, and all 5 terrain parks open. High near 32°F. Tonight’s low is forecast at 21°F — the coldest of the whole Cottonwood lineup — which should firm things up beautifully for Thursday morning. Night skiing is also available tonight (lifts until 9 p.m. Mon–Sat), making Brighton the rare place where you can get a full powder day and then lap it again under the lights.
Snowbird
Snowbird is running its full operation today — all 14 of 14 lifts spinning, 88 of 149 runs open, a 75-inch base, and 254 inches for the season. The 6 inches overnight is the same number as Alta but the warmer high of 41°F at Snowbird means the snow will be heavier and wetter than what you’ll find higher up the canyon. That’s not a reason to skip it — Snowbird with full lifts and fresh snow is never a bad day — but if you want the lightest turns, push toward the top of the mountain early and work your way down as conditions allow. Thunder snow possible before 3 p.m.
Deer Valley
Deer Valley is closed for the 2025–26 season. Even with fresh snow falling across the rest of the Wasatch, they wrapped up operations last month. If you were holding out for a Deer Valley spring lap, the window is gone for this year.
Park City
Park City is winding down fast. Mountain Village is already closed. Canyons Village is hanging on with just 9 of 350 runs open and 6 of 41 lifts running. They picked up only 1 inch overnight compared to the Cottonwoods’ 6–8, and the base is at 56 inches with 159 inches for the season. If you’re already on a Park City pass and want one last lap, Kokopelli at Canyons Village is the groomer pick. Otherwise, today is a Cottonwood day through and through.
What the broader Utah picture looks like
The Cottonwoods are the clear call today. Alta holds the deepest base at 82 inches, Snowbird has the most terrain open with all 14 lifts running, Brighton has the most new snow at 8 inches, and Solitude rounds it out at 7 inches with the longest remaining season. Any of the four is a legitimate choice.
The bigger story might actually be what’s coming. Tonight’s temperatures plunge into the low 20s across the Cottonwoods, and Thursday’s cold storm is expected to add significant accumulation on top of what just fell. If today’s snow is the appetizer, Thursday could be the main course. The window to end your season early is officially closed — there’s still skiing to be done here.
For those watching the canyon roads: both Big and Little Cottonwood are open this morning, but conditions are slushy in the upper canyons and the roads are wet below. Give yourself extra time and drive to conditions.
Daily gear call
- What to wear: This is a real winter setup, not a spring-layer day. Go with a midweight base layer, an insulating midlayer, and a waterproof shell. The snow is wet and heavy, and you’ll get damp fast without proper outerwear. Waterproof gloves or mitts — not your spring liner gloves.
- Ski choice: Leave the groomer carvers at home. Today calls for a wider all-mountain or dedicated powder ski. The snow is 6–8 inches of heavier April powder, not the light dry stuff of January, but a wider platform will keep you floating through the soft stuff better than a narrow frontside ski.
- Goggle lens: Go with a low-light or rose/amber lens. Snow showers and heavy clouds are the forecast for the morning hours. A dark lens is the wrong call today — you want something that pulls contrast out of flat light so you can read the snow surface.
What local skiers are talking about
- The “Upcoming storm” thread on r/UTsnow was tracking this system before it arrived. The general mood: pleasant surprise after a week of spring slush, with the conversation now shifting to what Thursday’s colder storm might deliver on top of this.
- The “April Skiing 2026” thread captures what a lot of people were expecting — freeze-thaw cycles and groomer harvesting — and today is the exact opposite of that. April powder days happen in Utah, and this is one of them.
- The Powder.com Utah forecast for today puts it plainly: “Alta and Snowbird are the clear Wednesday call with 10–15 inches of heavy to moderate snow, and the best turns will be higher on the mountain where the warm storm does the least damage.” Head up, ski high, go early.
Bottom line
April Fools’ Day just delivered one of the better surprises of the spring: 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow across the Cottonwoods, full lift operations at Alta and Snowbird, and a cold storm still building for Thursday. If you have the flexibility to get on snow today or tomorrow, this is the week to do it — the season is not over.