Early snow blankets Big and Little Cottonwood canyons; Guardsman Pass closed until Sunday.
(UDOT traffic camera) State Road 210 in Little Cottonwood Canyon near the Upper White Pine trailhead on Oct. 4, 2025.
Big and Little Cottonwood canyons got their first real taste of winter Saturday, with light snow dusting the lower elevations and heavy flakes piling up above 10,000 feet.
Snow began falling early as a cold front swept through the area, bringing temperatures down to around 30 degrees in the popular canyons, according to Sam Webber, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City.
Snowbird ski resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon had close to 6 inches of snowfall as of about 2 p.m., Webber said, and about an inch of snow had accumulated in the middle of the canyons at around 7,500 feet.
“I would anticipate, through the remainder of the afternoon up there, that we’re going to continue to see some snow accumulations,” Webber said.
Due to weather conditions, Guardsman Pass, which connects Big Cottonwood Canyon to Park City, is closed until Sunday, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.
Snowbird saw its first snowfall of the season on Tuesday, according to an Instagram post from the resort showing flakes accumulating at the top of the Mineral Basin chairlift.
On Friday, Big Cottonwood Canyon saw pea-sized hail and about 1.5 inches of rainfall, Webber said.
“People who are heading out into the upper canyon, just be prepared to experience snowy roads,” Webber said. “Especially people who have summer tires on, this time of year it could be pretty slick and dangerous if you’re driving in those conditions.”
A storm that brought precipitation into the area on Saturday also caused extensive flooding in Tooele and surrounding areas.