More snow here today, and it’s starting to stick. Aggggh! 
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13C / 55F here today. It should be 1-2C / 33-4F at this time of the year. Damp and cloudy for the most part. It won’t change much over the winter I think. Another year without snow.
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I’m good with years without snow. As long as it isn’t ice storms instead.
It was 80-something yesterday. I just consider it the usual “summer extension.” Happens every year here where you get a couple more weeks of summer in the late fall.
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In much of the western US, where I live, winters without much snow are drought years. It doesn’t rain much in the summer, and without deep snow accumulating in the mountains and filling the reservoirs when it melts in the spring, the area wouldn’t be livable. I hate snow, but everything would dry up and blow away without it.
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True that. But here rain fills reservoirs as well as snow. And in the eastern half of the state, snow is usually just mixed with a lot of road salt and storm-drained out into the ocean.
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The Western US was settled by pioneers from the Eastern US or Europe. Drive through any small town in Utah, and you’ll see hardwood trees lining streets, lush lawns, and lots of flowers and deciduous bushes, even though almost none of these things are native to the area since there isn’t enough summer rain to support them.
In other words, people here want to recreate New England in the arid West and are willing to waste precious and expensive water to do so. There’s a movement—driven by necessity—to embrace the desert and native plants (xeriscaping), but it’s a hard sell.
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Is winter tourism an important part of your region’s economy? It seems like several people I know travel to Park City to ski.
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Tourism is a huge part of Utah’s economy — both summer and winter. Southern Utah’s National Parks are packed in the summer, and Northern Utah’s ski resorts are full in the winter. Both summer and winter tourists spend tons of money. Salt Lake City will host the Winter Olympics in another ten years, ramping it up even more.
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Back in the day, when I used to ride a mountain bike more than a road bike, I always wanted to go to Moab to ride. Never made it. Now, I’m too old and too concerned about crashing on my mountain bike.
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I used to work for a now-defunct magazine called Utah Outdoors. I was the design director, but I also had opportunities to travel around the state to write stories and shoot photos — mostly about mountain biking. I transferred one of the stories to my website, in case you’re interested.
As for Moab, the tourist biking spots are way too crowded, and most Utahns avoid them. One of the best mountain biking locations near Moab (that tourists don’t have time for) is Canyonlands National Park. The White Rim Trail, for example, is 100 miles of the most beautiful red rock country anywhere. We rode the entire length in late February one year (again, for the magazine). It was spectacular and much better than the beaten-up rock trails nearer to Moab.
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It’s still quite mild here. No rain either. I’m interested to see what Winter will be like.
You’re making me want to dust off the mountain bike.
I love the first snow.
And what you have there is the perfect amount.
After that first one? Not so much. 
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No snow here. No rain either. We are under strict fire hazard conditions. We have wildfires to the south of me. I believe they started in Jersey. There is a no burn ban. Temps are mild during the day and drop at night. Windows are still open though. It gets hot when the sun is beating in the windows 
Snowy, icy and cold. I’m not happy. The sun just came out, as I was writing this.
Snowy, icy, cold and beautiful.
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First snow of the season. 
It’s still coming down. It’s a heavy snow. This was early this morning. We will get more pics as the day goes on (for those interested)
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We’re supposed to get our first major dumping of snow tonight up here.
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We’re staying in the upper 30s here today so it’s raining. That might change tonight, but hoping for snow, not ice.
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Today is sunny and cold. We are supposed to get snow tomorrow. Then it will be back up to the 50s next week. There is a saying in the Midwest that is proving true, “if you don’t like the weather, stick around for a day and it will change.”
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