Snow in Big Cottonwood Canyon is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. (Photo credit: Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Wednesday was the first day of winter and Utah is on track to see normal weather conditions.
KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson said a cold current in the Pacific called La Niña is affecting our winter weather in North America and normally it would mean fewer winter storms.
But as winter officially began, Johnson said La Niña hasn’t affected our snowfall totals so far.
“What we have been seeing is above-normal precip[itation], keeping the mountains within the 100 to 140% of normal snowpack.”
Johnson said a La Niña pattern typically pushes the jet stream far to the north. This causes fewer storms to come through the Mountain West.
But for now, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“On the seasonal outlook for the rest of winter, it does call for equal chances to see normal precipitation and normal temperatures.”
If that pattern continues through the rest of the winter, Johnson said we’ll be in great shape come spring.