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Here’s the scientific proof that Utah has the best snow in the world

It’s says it right on the Utah license plate: we have the greatest snow on the planet. But what actually makes Utah snow so great for skiing and snowboarding?

The snow enthusiasts at Ski Utah say there’s quite a bit of science that goes into making Utah’s epic powder, and have created an infographic highlighting the process.

Some years it may seem like the valley floors of northern Utah are lucky to see consistent snowfall during the winter months, but since 1963 the average annual snowfall has remained between 300-750 inches. Specifically, Utah receives an average of 500 inches of snowfall each year, with 18 storms bringing 12 or more inches of snow each. Each year Utah sees 40 snowstorms, and 250 days of winter according to the graphic.

What makes skiing in Utah so ideal? Any skier will tell you the perfect snow for skiing is a balance between light weight, dry snow, and heavy, wet snow. Utah snow has the right mix of salt content with powder, with an 8.5 percent average snow density.

Each winter, the Great Salt Lake creates a phenomenon known as the “Lake Effect”, bringing light, fluffy snow on top of a dense base.

Storms develop in the Pacific Ocean, and move toward the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They then drop with about 10 to 12 percent moisture density. The clouds continue east into Utah as they dry out, crossing the Great Salt Lake. As the clouds continue moving east, the storm gets drier and colder, which produces the dendrites snowflakes, which are thin and symmetrical in shape.

There are 11 Utah ski resorts located within one hour of Salt Lake City International Airport, with over 28,000 lift-served skiable acres. You can choose from over 1,200 ski runs, which combined spans the distance from Salt Lake to Las Vegas. There are also over 31,000 total vertical feet to ski upon, which is like skiing from the top of Mt. Everest all the way to sea level.

Graphic source: http://www.skiutah.com/winter/blog/authors/yeti/why-utah-has-the-greatest-snow-on. Copyright Ski Utah.