Reset of the Central Wasatch Snowpack

This is not a comprehensive sample, but it appears that all of the persistent snow patches that linger deep into summer and fall that I can typically spy from the top of Snowbird are gone.  

I hiked up the bird this morning and it was about as clear as it gets when I arrived on the summit.  I couldn't spy a single patch of snow below the American Fork Twins (this has been the case for at least a couple of weeks) or in upper Hogum Fork where snow tends to linger.  

Thus it appears that this summer we have had a full and complete reset of the central Wasatch snowpack, although perhaps one of you out there can tell us that there is a patch lingering somewhere.  Central Wasatch does not include Mt. Timpanogos where it is more likely that something remains around the Timpanogos Snowfield and rock glacier.  

Snowbird though is preparing to do something about this as I noticed they are beginning to deploy their snowguns.  

Meanwhile, Ski Utah is pinning all of their hopes on the Super El Niño.  One of my students gave me the sticker below from yesterday's Utah Avalanche Center Backcountry Benefit.

It remains hard to say if a vote for Super El Niño will yield change we can believe in.  I suspect a continuation of the incredibly poor status quo from last winter is unlikely, but whether a change in the majority climate party turns inflation (i.e., rising temperatures) around and results in improved job (i.e., powder) prospects for Wasatch citizens remains uncertain.