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But what does that mean? It is a type of winter storm that typically begins as a Pacific low pressure system spinning near the islands of Alaska. The short answer is Utah caught a ride on the Pineapple Express. But why did snow come so heavily so quickly? “Our snowpack is way above average right now and we are almost to what we would consider to be a normal year, with still almost three months left of snow accumulation to go,” he said. Utah has seen several low pressure systems bring snow and high pressure systems have been scarce so far. We’ve been in the middle of the highway of storm tracks, and it’s been consecutive active periods with very little break in between.”ĭuring the first 6-8 weeks of the winter season, Meyer estimates that Utah is already at 80% of the state’s median April 1st snowpack, with more snow still expected. “When the jet stream returns, the storm tracks return.

“We are seeing the jet stream return to our area, and that is something we haven’t seen a lot over the last couple of winters,” Meyer said. And with its return, so come stronger winter storms this is consistent with research undertaken in the Utah Climate Center that identified atmospheric dynamics that exist in the Western Pacific that define 6-year dry and wet phases for Northern Utah’s weather. After several years of the jet stream pushing many storms to the north or east of Utah, the jet stream has shifted and has been friendlier to Utah this year. The jet stream, the fast and narrow current of air flowing from west to east that directs storms across the Western U.S., has returned. After years of low snow totals, why is Utah getting snow now? The snowstorms to begin the winter season may have people asking such questions as: Why has Utah experienced so many snowstorms? Where do these storms originate? How does this snow affect Utah’s water outlook for 2023 and beyond? Does this signal the beginning of the end of Utah’s drought? Utah State University researcher and assistant state climatologist Jon Meyer sat down with Utah State Today to explain the current weather conditions and what can be learned from the wet start to winter. Mother nature seemed all too happy to oblige this season, with that dream turning into a nightmare at times with icy road conditions, power outages and several feet of snow needing to be shoveled. LOGAN, Utah - As the popular holiday song goes, many Utahns were dreaming of a White Christmas.