UNITED STATES — January 2026 delivered an unexpected winter storyline across the country as Salt Lake City, Utah, a city typically known for heavy mountain snowfall, recorded only a trace of snow for the entire month. Meanwhile, dozens of cities across the Midwest, East Coast, South, and even parts of the Deep South measured more snowfall than Salt Lake City, according to a map released by the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City on February 2, 2026.
Salt Lake City Left Behind in a National Snow Anomaly
While Salt Lake City, Utah is often among the nation’s winter snowfall leaders, January 2026 flipped expectations. The city officially logged just a trace of snow, placing it below nearly every major region of the country shown on the map.
Meteorologists noted that persistent high-pressure ridging over the Great Basin repeatedly deflected storm systems north and east, starving northern Utah of meaningful precipitation. This allowed cold air and moisture to focus elsewhere, setting the stage for a rare national imbalance in snowfall distribution.
The result was a month where traditional snowbelt cities behaved normally — or even above average — while Salt Lake City fell nearly silent.
Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Dominate January Totals
Snowfall was especially impressive across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, where cold air remained firmly entrenched for most of the month…