Why this Utah resort could be the state's biggest winner this winter

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's resorts are optimistic that this winter's "super El Niño" will deliver Utah much better snowfall than last year.

And one resort in the state could benefit the most from the oceanic pattern that will likely continue to influence the country's weather over the next few months, according to Jennifer Broome, a freelance meteorologist who has worked with The Weather Channel, National Geographic and AAA.

She picked Brian Head in Iron County to be one of the "snowiest adventure towns" this winter in an article for Outside Magazine on Wednesday.

The high-elevation community has already received "multiple rounds of significant snow," which might be the prelude to "what should be above-average snowfall and cooler temperatures this winter," she explained.

"Brian Head is in a sweet spot for Super El Niño's elevated snow amounts," she wrote. "Plus, its high elevation helps sustain snow quality."

What's helping Utah's case?

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center's latest winter outlook lists most of Utah as having "equal chances" for precipitation, meaning there's no clear signal for totals to be higher, lower or near-average between December of this year and February 2027.

Parts of southern Utah, including areas close to Brian Head, have slightly higher odds for above-average precipitation, which is more common during an El Niño setup.

Utah also has equal chances when it comes to temperatures, signaling its run of record-high temperatures might finally come to an end. This year is on track to be the state's warmest on record, snapping a record set last year.

Doing so would help bring more snow in the mountains, since that was the biggest challenge last year.

The agency's other long-range models suggest the moisture could become more widespread toward the latter end of the season and spring, before potentially slowing down.

Its January through March model lists nearly all of Utah having 33% to 40% odds of above-normal moisture, while southern Utah's odds jump up to 40% to 50% by then.

All of the longest-range forecasting models are expected to be updated next week, but other long-range models also seem to indicate that Utah could benefit strongly this winter. OpenSnow is among the group that lists Utah as having better odds of above-normal snow this winter.

Every resort in Utah suffered from one of its worst snow seasons on record, which, on a hydrological scale, also produced the lowest snowpack recorded since records were first kept in 1930.

For southern Utah, it was back-to-back winters of extremely low or record-low snow, which is why this year's forecast could be especially impactful for the region.

Mammoth Lakes, California; Fort Valley, Arizona; Telluride and Pagosa Springs, Colorado; and Taos, New Mexico were also on Broome's list as potentially being the snowiest this winter.

Ready to go

Broome's picks were released the same day that Ski Utah held its annual ski season preview, where all of the resorts on hand were optimistic that this winter could be a gem.

"I don't know if I've felt this much pent-up demand for skiing as we have this season," said Nathan Rafferty, the president and CEO of Ski Utah, later adding that he believes it can break resort visitation records if the winter delivers.

The organization handed out approximately 1,300 "Vote Super El Niño 2026-2027" lawn signs after announcing the campaign ahead of this season.

Brian Head Resort had hoped to be open already after October storms, but that was pushed back after a storm lull and the return of warmer temperatures.

Utah, however, is in for another weather pattern change that should benefit many ski resorts across the state. Brian Head could receive another 8 inches of snow or more from a storm forecast to arrive this weekend, with more expected next week, according to the weather service.

Two other storms are also forecast to impact the state, with the core of those likely crossing through southern Utah but impacting most of the state, KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said.