Salt Lake City, Utah, has officially recorded its lowest snow total on record for the 2025-26 winter. It received a total of 3.7 inches (9.4 cm) of snowfall, marking the lowest in the city’s 152 years of keeping snowfall records. Salt Lake City typically receives roughly 52 inches (132.1 cm) of snow per year, but unprecedentedly warm weather led to a virtually snowless winter.
The previous record low was 14.3 inches (36.3 cm) of snowfall, set more than 90 years ago during the winter of 1933-34. The 2025-26 winter shattered that record, finishing 10.6 inches below the previous low.
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The entirety of Utah followed a similar trend this winter. The state’s snowpack reached a record low since measurements began in 1990, topping out at just 8.7 inches (22.1 cm) of snow-water equivalent. This measurement came in at one-fifth of the previous record low, far surpassing the previous record low. As a result, most of the Colorado River system will flow at record low levels this summer. Water reservoirs will bear the brunt as well.
The effects were felt by Salt Lake City and Utah’s ski industry. Resort conditions were sub-par, relying heavily on snowmaking and operating with limited terrain. Resorts like Park City were forced to delay their openings and accelerate their closings. Warm weather also brought rain to resorts with lower elevations, further affecting snow quality and accelerating melts. For longtime Utah skiers, the season stood in stark contrast to the typical winters that bring the “greatest snow on Earth.”
The tourism sector also suffered, with hotels and restaurants facing quieter periods as skiers adjusted travel plans. For mountain communities that rely on tourism revenue, mild winters are particularly impactful.
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While single dry winters are not unprecedented in Utah, scientists say climate change is increasing the likelihood of winters like this, as rising temperatures lead to more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow. Rising global temperatures are making low-snow years more likely, with storms producing rain instead of snow. When snow does fall, warmer conditions can lead to faster melting and unsteady snowpacks. Scientists have also pointed to larger swings between extremely snowy seasons and dry ones. Utah saw back-to-back record high and record low seasons earlier this decade, a defining characteristic of long-term climate change…