Plant Grass, Save Utah’s Ski Slopes!
Plant Grass, Save Utah’s Ski Slopes!
Hey Utahns, want to keep our ski slopes snowy and our resorts buzzing? It’s time to plant more grass and plants! In our dry state, where we get just 13 inches of precipitation a year, grass is a secret weapon to boost snowfall, save our ski industry, and make winters epic. By covering bare ground and swapping xeriscaping for Flowscaping, we can bring more snow to Park City, Alta, and Snowbird. Let’s dive into how grass works its magic and why every yard counts for Utah’s ski country!
Grass Brings More Snow
Grass is like a water pump for Utah’s skies. Through evapotranspiration (ET), it pulls water from the soil and releases it as vapor, adding moisture that turns into snow. Grass pumps 3-5 mm of water daily—way more than native plants or bare dirt. For 600,000 acres, that’s 324,000-540,000 acre-feet of vapor a year, fueling 40% of Utah’s precipitation. This could mean 7-25% more snow (up to 3 extra inches, or 10-30 inches in the mountains) by 2075. Imagine longer ski seasons at Snowbird with 30 more inches of powder!
Grass also cools the air by 3-15°F, helping clouds form right over Utah’s peaks. Bare ground or gravel? They heat up 5-10°F, pushing moisture away. More grass means more snow for our slopes!
Keeping Snow Longer
Grass doesn’t just bring snow—it helps it stick around. Through photosynthesis, grass soaks up carbon dioxide (CO₂), storing 702,000 tons a year across 600,000 acres. This fights global warming, which melts our snowpack 20-30% faster than in the 1980s. Cooler air from grass keeps snow from melting too soon, giving resorts like Deer Valley an extra 1-2 weeks of skiing in spring.
Fast Water, Big Impact
Grass works fast, cycling 70-90% of water back to the air in 24-48 hours, ready to become snow in 7-8 days. Compare that to the Great Salt Lake (5-10 years for water to return as precipitation) or aquifers (50-1,000 years). Grass keeps water moving, not stuck, so resorts get the snow they need. Without grass, 42,000-84,000 acre-feet of potential precipitation gets lost to runoff every year!
Saving Water for Snowmaking
More grass means more rain and snow, which refills our aquifers—Utah’s underground water banks. Grass’s extra 0.9-3 inches of precipitation adds 12,960-43,200 acre-feet to aquifers yearly, helping resorts like Snowbird make snow when nature falls short. Unlike xeriscaping’s gravel, which wastes water through runoff, grass keeps it local, saving millions of gallons for snow machines.
Fixing Xeriscaping’s Snow Stealer
Since 1981, xeriscaping—using gravel and low-water plants—has cut Utah’s precipitation by 1-3% a year, costing us 5-17 inches by 2025. That’s less snow for our resorts! Gravel and natives cycle water slowly (7-30 days or none), starving our skies. Flowscaping with grass brings back the snow we’ve lost, growing 7-25% more for Alta and Park City.
Why Skiers Need Grass
Utah’s $1.2 billion ski industry, with 5.7 million skier visits, thrives on snow. More grass could add 2-4 weeks to the season, boosting revenue by $50-100 million and supporting 20,000 jobs. Plus, green summer landscapes draw hikers and bikers, adding $100-200 million to tourism. In our dry climate, unlike snowy Colorado or wet Washington, grass’s snow-making power is a game-changer.
How You Can Help
Ready to save Utah’s ski slopes? Here’s how:
Plant Grass: Fill your yard or community spaces with grass like Kentucky bluegrass. Every patch grows snow!
Cover Bare Ground: No dirt left exposed—plant grass or flowers to pump water fast.
Ditch Xeriscaping: Swap gravel for lush Flowscaping to cool the air and bring back snow.
Spread the Word: Tell friends, join ski clubs, or support Utah’s Flowscaping laws to green our state.
Let’s Keep Utah Snowy!
Utahns, every blade of grass you plant is a snowflake for our slopes! Grass pumps water (3-5 mm/day), cools the air (3-15°F), and grows 7-25% more snow, keeping resorts like Park City powdery. It fights xeriscaping’s snow loss and refills aquifers for snowmaking. Let’s Flowscape our yards, cover bare ground, and make it snow! Skiers, grab a shovel, plant some grass, and let’s shred a snowier Utah! Plant Grass, Save Utah’s Ski Slopes!🌱❄️
Join the Flowscaping movement and support Ski Utah for epic winters!
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