Backwards Storm

No deep powder this morning, but we did get a few inches last night and we'll be happy to take it.   We've had a number of upside down storms this year, but last night gave us a good backwards storm, one in which the Wasatch Back gets more snow than the Cottonwoods.  According to the UAC, we got 7–9 inches on the Park City ridgeline and 3–6 in the Cottonwoods.  I suspect that if you are skiing Alta-Bird today, you'll notice a clear decrease in snowfall from Supreme to Gad-II.

Why the backwards storm?  It was an event with large-scale southeasterly to easterly flow, as can be seen in the movement of precipitation features in the radar loop below, which covers most of the event.

The backwards storm isn't all that uncommon.  They happen a few times each winter.  Given the meager snowpack, I'm sure the Park City folks are glad to get it.

Addendum @ 10:00 AM

The NWS has posted some snow totals and those from the central Wasatch show the east-west snowfall gradient quite well.

Source: NWS