131 Inches in 31 days.
March 2023 saw 229 inches of snow, the snowiest single month in the 43-year history of the Collins Study Plot. No one expected a repeat performance of last season, but on the heels of a Not So Dry January and Free Refills February, the stoke—and the snowbanks—were high heading into what is typically Alta's snowiest month.
We started the month of March one inch shy of 450 inches of season-to-date snowfall. We closed out the month approaching 600 inches on the season. Along the way, we surpassed our 43-year seasonal snowfall average and set a new record for snowfall over any two-year period on record.
Since January 1st, Alta Ski Area has seen 426 inches of snow—an average of 4.7 inches per day.
March 2024 was a phenomenal month of powder skiing without the avalanche of road closures and Interlodge orders we experienced in 2023. Over the 31 days, Alta received 131 inches of snow—an average of 4.23 inches per day. We even enjoyed a mid-month break in the action that offered a sneak preview of spring skiing of the slush bumps and sunshine variety.
March 2024 | 131 Inches of Snow
True to the adage, March came in like a lion—a very fierce lion. The snow arrived on March 2nd as Alta Ski Area celebrated World Telemark Day. Snowfall rates were firing at two-plus inches an hour when lightning shut down the lifts. The lifts would reopen shortly after, but it was a harbinger of a storm-filled month ahead. When it was all said and done, the first storm of March delivered 17.5 inches of snow.
March 3rd: Connor Shanklin charges into March... like a lion | Photo: Photo-John
The snow just kept on falling as Alta Ski Area received 33.5 inches of snow over the first seven days of the new month.
March 7th: Tami Razinger dives into Stone Crusher | Photo: Tyler Struss
Following a few days of sunshine and terrain openings—including Mount Baldy and Devil's Castle—another hard-hitting winter storm delivered 22.5 inches of snow by mid-month as the Collins Study Plot surpassed 500 inches of season-to-date snowfall.
February 13th: Rian Zetzer joins the 500-inch party | Photo: Chloe Jimenez
After a snowy start to the month, lamblike weather moved in. March 14th–20th was the longest snowless stretch since an 11-day snowless stretch between Christmas Eve and January 3rd. Even the most dedicated powderhounds were quick to embrace the spring skiing conditions as sunshine and slush bumps have been a rarity over the past two seasons. The spring skiing was made all the more enjoyable as the forecast called for a snowy end of the month.
March 20th: Ana Eyssimont enjoys spring turns | Photo: Chloe Jimenez
True to form for Alta, the first few days of spring delivered more snowfall than sunshine. An active snowfall pattern settled into the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon. This four-day storm cycle dropped another 41.5 inches of snow.
March 24th: Julian Carr came to town to partake in some "spring" skiing | Photo: Photo-John
On March 24th, Alta Ski Area recorded 533 inches of seasonal snowfall. Combined with last season’s 903 inches of snow, the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons became the snowiest two-season stretch on record.
March 25th: JM Fabrizi is all smiles on a bluebird powder day | Photo: Rocko Menzyk
March 26th: Nicole Cordingley is just happy to be here | Photo: Chloe Jimenez
Late in the evening of March 26th, Alta Ski Area surpassed the 43-year seasonal snowfall average of 546 inches. While we won’t come close to last season’s record-breaking snowfall, the 2023–24 season is officially above average.
March 27th: Caroline Claire skis some above-average snow | Photo: Chloe Jimenez
March ended the way it began, with a series of storms delivering a seemingly endless string of powder days. Even the Easter Bunny got in on the action before hiding 3,000 eggs for the youngest Alta skiers amid a 26.5-inch storm cycle.
March 31st: The Easter Bunny skied some powder before hiding the eggs under fresh snow | Photos: Photo-John
When the dust settled, March 2024 saw a total of 131 inches of snow—135% of the 43-year average March snowfall (96.76”). Total water clocked in at 10.81 inches—142% of the 43-year average for March (7.63”).
March 2024 was the third consecutive above-average month to start the new year. We fell almost 100 inches short of the single-month snowfall record set in March 2023, but we skied plenty of fresh snow, enjoyed a little sunshine and continued to celebrate a pretty above-average season at Alta Ski Area.
STATE OF THE SNOWPACK
By April 1st, Alta Ski Area had received 580 inches of season-to-date snowfall—the most snowfall in the lower 48 states. Our season-to-date snowfall is 124% of average (469”). Our season-to-date water clocks in at 52.43 inches—136% of average (38.56”).
The Collins Study Plot is reporting a settled snow depth of 14 feet—plenty of snow to get us through the final month of the season.
2023–24 SNOWFALL BY-THE-NUMBERS
Season-to-date snowfall from October through March 31st compared to the past 10 seasons:
- 2013–14: 371.5” | Season total: 432”
- 2014–15: 261” | Season total: 323.5”
- 2015–16: 384” | Season total: 438.5”
- 2016–17: 493.5” | Season total: 596.5”
- 2017–18: 322” | Season total: 388”
- 2018–19: 538.5” | Season total: 626”
- 2019–20: 503.5” | Season total: 542”
- 2020–21: 432” | Season total: 486.5”
- 2021–22: 370.5” | Season total: 445.5”
- 2022–23: 811” | Season total: 903”
- 2023–24: 580” | Season total: ???
10-Year Averages
- 10-year average snowfall through March 31st: 449 inches
- 10-year average seasonal snowfall: 518 inches
- 10-year average rest-of-season snowfall: 69 inches
43-Year Averages
- 43-year average snowfall through March 31st: 469 inches
- 43-year average seasonal snowfall: 546 inches
- 43-year average rest-of-season snowfall: 77 inches
Comparing the 2023–24 season to recent years, this winter is off to the second-snowiest start in the past decade—trailing only last season's record-shattering 903-inch season (811"). Our 580 inches of season-to-date snowfall puts us 34 inches ahead of our 43-year average seasonal snowfall. April typically sees 77 inches of snow. An average April would put us at 657 inches for the season.
New Year, New Pattern?
Snowiest Year-To-Date (January 1st–March 31st) since 1981:
- 2023: 526"
- 2024: 426"
- 1998: 394.5"
- 2008: 387.5"
- 1982: 381"
The first quarter of 2024 has provided three consecutive months with above-average snowfall. Since January 1st, Alta Ski Area has seen 426 inches of snow—an average of 4.7 inches per day. This January 1st–March 31st is the second-snowiest start to a new year in the 43-year history of the Collins Study Plot—trailing only last season's 526 inches of snow.
Final Month of the 2023–24 Season
As we head into the final month of the 2023–24 season, we don’t see any signs of the snow letting up. Four inches of snow fell on April Fool's Day and the most recent weekend storm was no joke, as 27 inches of snow fell during the first week of April.
The phrase “spring skiing” conjures visions of slush bumps, hot dogs, neon, glitter and goggle tans, but April at Alta typically just means more snow, with a little bit more sun.
Don't swap out those bibs for jorts just yet. Over the past 43 years, April has averaged 77.05 inches of snow from 6.82 inches of water. As we head into the final three weeks of this above-average season, keep an eye on Alta's Mountain Cams and the Weather and Snow Report before getting dressed and heading up Highway 210.
April EVENTS
Each April, Alta comes to life with events. Stay tuned to the Alta Events Calendar and Alta Community Enrichment (ACE) for opportunities to partake in on-hill and off-the-hill shenanigans.
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