Winter Storm

Salt Lake City Has Been Outsnowed By Florida. Really.

Only a month into 2026, this is, by far, the weirdest snow stat we've seen in a region that typically isn't lacking for snow.

Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, lack of snow in Salt Lake City. — The Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Utah with a general lack of snow on the ground on Jan. 25, 2026.
(Matthew Hamon)

Salt Lake City failed to pick up any measurable snow in January, less than many cities even in the Deep South, including Florida.

Only a trace of snow fell in Salt Lake City in January. It was only the second time since 1885 that Utah's capital city didn't measure at least 0.1 inch of snow in January (2003 was the other year).

January is typically the snowiest month in the city, averaging 12.7 inches of snow, according to NWS statistics.

The cities that picked up more snowfall in January 2026 than Salt Lake City.
(NWS-Salt Lake City)

Florida Over Utah

What made this even more weird was Salt Lake City was less snowy in January than many Southern cities such as Atlanta, Dallas, even Marianna, Florida, according to a map posted by the National Weather Service Monday.

In fact, Florida had two separate snow events in January.

Parts of the Florida Panhandle picked up about an inch of snow on Jan. 18. Then on the southern end of Winter Storm Gianna and its powerhouse cold front, flurries were seen as far south as Naples, Florida.

Record Low Snow Season?

Through Groundhog Day, Salt Lake City International Airport has measured just 0.1 inch of snowfall since last fall, one dusting that happened two days after Christmas.

The valley's least snowy season on record was during the Great Depression, when only 14.3 inches of snow fell in the winter season of 1933-34.

(MORE: How Much Winter Weather Is Typical After Groundhog Day?)

The reason for this snowless January in the Salt Lake Valley was the dominance of a blocking area of high pressure aloft over the Great Basin, shown in the darker red contours with the "H" in the map below.

This atmospheric road block kept weather systems away and also kept the valley much warmer than average.

(MORE: Did Winter Forget The West?)

This map shows the anomalies in the upper-level wind pattern over the U.S. in January 2026, including a blocking ridge of high pressure in the West, and stubborn low pressure anchored over eastern Canada.
(NOAA)

In a typical year, Salt Lake City picks up another 19 inches of snow through spring, and there are signs that the stubborn January pattern will change by the second week of February.

(FORECAST DETAILS: Salt Lake City)

Even if this won't end up being a record least snowy winter, Salt Lake City is pacing well ahead of its record warm winter of 2002-2003.

And the lack of snow is a growing concern for a state which depends on its snowpack for virtually its entire water supply.

Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.