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Brian Head December Skiing

Brian Head snow in December

Data show December is the fifth best month Brian Head for overall snow quality when considering the following factors:

  • Snow quantity at Brian Head
  • Snow quality at Brian Head
  • How much snow is required for proper terrain coverage at Brian Head—steeper resorts require more snow to get 100% open.
  • Brian Head's snow frequency (standard deviation)
  • Brian Head's elevation
  • Brian Head's latitude
  • Brian Head's slope aspects - more north-facing slopes protect snow later into winter
Brian Head snow score by month, December in focus
December
Dec1
Dec15
Jan1
Jan15
Feb1
Feb15
Mar1
Mar15
Apr1
Apr15

Brian Head this winter: El Niño

NOAA's latest reading shows strong El Niño conditions heading into 2026–27. Over 40 winters, El Niño winters have brought Brian Head 13% more snow than average, and 10% more snow in the strongest ones. More snow: more snow in most El Niño winters.

How El Niño affects Brian Head → · El Niño and Utah ski resorts

Brian Head in December, by the numbers

By ZRankings' snow data, Brian Head's December snow scores 20 out of 100, its 5th-best month, 46th of the 220 North American resorts we track. Over 40 winters of weather data, it snows or rains on about 19% of December days, the sun reaches 85% of its clear-sky potential, and mid-mountain highs average 29°F with lows near 9°F.

December snow score 20/100 46th of 220 resorts · its 5th-best month
Sunshine 85% of clear-sky sun · sunnier than 91% of resorts
Storm days 19% of December days bring snow or rain
Rain at the base 0.3% of days; 0.0% at the summit
Average December temperatures
HighLow
Summit26°F6°F
Mid-mountain29°F9°F
Base32°F12°F

Passes for 2026-27: Power Pass (unlimited). Compare passes.

What matters when it comes to snow for December skiing:

Finding good snow early in the season is often a game of chance. But there are mountains and regions that historically perform better than others. We take these factors into account when grading out our scores for resorts and the given season. That said, it's almost always a better bet, in terms of snow and open terrain, to ski in January or Feburary compared with December.

But skiing during the December holidays is a great tradition and it's also one of the only times many families can get away for extended periods.

Those skiing December should look for ski resorts with high average annual snowfalls and low standard deviations. In addition, steep and rocky ski resorts need more snow to get terrain open compared with ski resorts with more modest terrain.

This is also the time of year when slope aspects—north, east, south, west—matter the least. The sun is at it lowest angles in North America in December and has less effect on the snowpack at this time of year than at any other. So ski resorts that possess lots of south-facing and east-facing terrain will generally ski better—assuming there is enough snow—during these darkest times of winter rather than the spring. More explanation on this topic can be found on our snow rankings page.

Brian Head skiing by month:
Brian Head
By Month