Weather

When it comes to Salt Lake City's weather, visitors should heed the ancient wisdom of the Boy Scouts: Be Prepared! Since Salt Lake City lies so far from the moderating influence of the ocean, the weather can dramatically change in a hurry. Storms blow in quickly, and temperatures can instantly plummet. Good weather can return just as fast. But these fluctuations don't occur often enough to put the fritz on any of your outdoor plans. Most of the time, you'll love the weather. With four seasons, Salt Lake City boasts a delightful climate that gives visitors and residents the thrill of spring growth, abundant blue skies, summer sunshine, swirling autumn leaves, and snow-but not too cold-winters.

Because of the varied topography, the Salt Lake City area has a number of climate zones. This makes life interesting for residents, who can enjoy different weather by just traveling a few miles. The weather in the mountains at an elevation of 10,000 feet is similiar to the climate in Alaska. Frequent storms drench the mountains with 60 to 70 inches of water a year, most of that in the form of snow. Resorts such as Snowbird and Alta commonly receive an astounding 40 feet of dry, powdery snow a year!! Such bounty brings hordes of powder hounds to the Wasatch Mountains every winter. Lower down, the semiarid foothills get 20 inches of moisture a year, and the dry Salt Lake Valley only 14 inches. And each year the weather patterns change. Although the total amount of precipitation doesn't vary much, it's impossible to predict when it will come. Sometimes, Salt Lake City experiences a snowy winter and a dry spring, while the next year only a few snowstorms hit-but spring rains come hard and fast.

Whatever the weather, low humidity makes for a comfortable climate, summer and winter. Even though summer temperatures can hit triple-digits, the dry air makes it tolerable. In Salt Lake City, you'll never say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." Winds often blow up the canyons in the day and out the canyons in the evening, giving relief from hot temperatures.

Spring is the most unpredictable time of the year. A glorious spring morning can quickly give way to a raging afternoon snowstorm. Wet, snowy weather can sometimes hang on until May; other years are dry and warm from February on. Balmy late winters tempt gardeners to sow their seeds earlier than usual-but the experienced know that to do so is to invite frozen seedlings in the middle of April.

If you like your weather hot, dry, and sunny, you'll love summer in Salt Lake City. Temperatures in July and August often reach 100 or more several days in a row. June is usually warm and sunny as well. Summers in Salt Lake City stay true to form more than the other seasons. Rain is scarce, except for occasional thunderstorms that rumble and roar but usually don't even water your lawn. Occasionally a big one will hit, and the gutters will fill and basements flood.

For many people, mellow sunlight, clear days, and cool nights make autumn the best season in Salt Lake City. Beautiful weather can last for weeks. This is a wonderful time to hike the mountains, explore the Great Salt Lake, or take an art tour through Salt Lake's numerous galleries.

Because of Utah's world-class skiing and snowboarding, many people associate Salt Lake City with winter. As we've mentioned, mountain snows are abundant at the resorts. But in the city itself, about 6,000 feet lower, a storm that dumps 2 feet at Alta may only leave 2 inches at Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City Utah Weather :: Monthly Averages