NOAA normal Salt Lake City averages about 51.9 inches of snow a seasonFreeze-thaw About 81 freeze-thaw days a year at SLC in our count of NOAA dataUDOT UDOT uses Great Salt Lake solar salt and Central Utah mined salt, and mixes its own 23% brineSLC rule Salt Lake City requires sidewalks cleared within 24 hours of a stormEst. treated salt Pre-treated bulk salt usually runs $20–$50 a ton over plain rock saltEst. salt brine Salt brine by the gallon: roughly $0.20–$0.40, before deliveryEst. bagged rock salt Pallet of 49 × 50 lb rock salt bags: roughly $240–$330Est. ice melt pallet Pallet of 49 × 50 lb blended ice melt: roughly $430–$600Rule of thumb Plain rock salt slows way down below about 15°F pavement temperatureFall pre-buy Lock in tons and pickup or delivery before the first storm, not during itNOAA normal Salt Lake City averages about 51.9 inches of snow a seasonFreeze-thaw About 81 freeze-thaw days a year at SLC in our count of NOAA dataUDOT UDOT uses Great Salt Lake solar salt and Central Utah mined salt, and mixes its own 23% brineSLC rule Salt Lake City requires sidewalks cleared within 24 hours of a stormEst. treated salt Pre-treated bulk salt usually runs $20–$50 a ton over plain rock saltEst. salt brine Salt brine by the gallon: roughly $0.20–$0.40, before deliveryEst. bagged rock salt Pallet of 49 × 50 lb rock salt bags: roughly $240–$330Est. ice melt pallet Pallet of 49 × 50 lb blended ice melt: roughly $430–$600Rule of thumb Plain rock salt slows way down below about 15°F pavement temperatureFall pre-buy Lock in tons and pickup or delivery before the first storm, not during it

Price figures are estimates from public bids and published price lists, not quotes. Where these numbers come from

Home › Snow & Ice Guide › How a Wasatch Front winter unfolds

How a Wasatch Front winter unfolds

Salt Lake City snowfall, freeze-thaw counts, inversions and the season month by month.

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A Wasatch Front winter mixes real storms, lake-effect bands and long inversion spells with freezing fog. Here's how a typical season tends to go. Any given year can differ.

Snowfall and freeze-thaw

Place	Average seasonal snowfall	Freeze-thaw days a year
Salt Lake City	51.9 in	80.6

Snowfall: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals.¹ Freeze-thaw days: our count of days with a high above 32°F and a low below 32°F in NOAA GHCN-Daily records, 1991–2020 average.²

The season, month by month

November: line up supply

First valley snows and freezes. Pre-buy and fill your pile.

December to January: inversion season

Cold air trapped in the valley. Freezing fog can glaze lots with no snow forecast.

January to February: storm cycles

Pacific storms and lake-effect bands. Plow, then treated salt.

March: freeze-thaw and late storms

Warm days, cold nights. Watch refreeze around piles.

Next in the guideStorm-readiness checklist →

Sources

Figures are quoted from the sources above. Conditions on your sites vary; follow product labels and your own calibration.