The practical implication is that ENSO-based seasonal guidance should not be applied uniformly across the West. A statement about what El Niño may mean for snowpack can be reasonably informative in the Cascades while carrying very little information in the Wasatch.

Based on the results of this study, the ENSO phase doesn’t give us a clear idea as to what this upcoming season will look like. I’m not saying that ENSO has no effect on weather in Utah. I’m just saying it’s not a crystal ball indicator, unfortunately.

I was curious to know how much ENSO influenced ski season here in Utah. Could it be what caused two dramatically different seasons? As it turns out, the El Niño Southern Oscillation is not a very good explanation here — and figuring out why took pulling apart snowpack data, valley temperatures, upper-atmosphere pressure patterns, and two decades of ENSO history.

Although humans start 87% of wildfires, those fires account for only 43% of the total acreage burned. Lightning starts just 13% of fires but is responsible for 57% of the acreage burned.

This analysis serves as a decision support tool for skiers by identifying when historical odds of a powder day are highest at Utah's major resorts

“Bike sales aren’t affected by weather.” I tested that assumption using google search behavior, weather data, and a simple statistical model. The results were more interesting than expected.