Late summer snow provides diverse experience at Snowbird Oktoberfest

By Darienne DeBrule

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    LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON, Utah (KSTU) — Some Utahns and visitors spent Labor Day enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of Snowbird’s Oktoberfest, while others took a ride through the clouds on the Snowbird tram to see snow after seeing posts displaying the fresh powder on the resort’s social media platforms.

“We saw that they posted about it, so we hopped in the car, had to come up and see it for ourselves,” Brenley Hansen said. “We always chase the first snow of the season and we’re so happy.”

One family got to experience snow for the first time on Monday.

“We’re from Jacksonville, Florida, and we were not expecting it at all,” said Drew Gardiner.

“I couldn’t believe it when my feet sunk in. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,'” Savannah McGowan added.

The September snow didn’t just impress first-timers; it also impressed locals.

“So excited that it’s snowing and the winter is here, even if just for a day or two,” Spencer Aronstoin said.

Hidden Peak at Snowbird got a nice dusting of snow, but it isn’t the only place in the state that saw some powder. Bald Mountain Pass in the High Uinta Mountains had a layer of snow covering the road Monday morning.

“This isn’t unusual. We’ll see snow anywhere from late August to mid-September as our first official snow in high elevations,” said Salt Lake City National Weather Service lead meteorologist Christine Cruse.

Cruse added that Monday’s high-elevation snow is not indicative of a snowy upcoming winter.

“So far it’s equal chances. We’re going to have to watch to see how the jet stream sets up, how high pressure sets up off the Pacific coast. Last year we were in that storm path the entire winter,” Cruse said.

So, for now, snow enthusiasts are enjoying a winter tease.

“The weather in Utah is such that you never expect or don’t expect something,” Aronstoin said. “It’s certainly surprising, but it snowed in September a couple years ago and lightning struck twice.”

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