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Ok you can say orographic lift
But SO FREAKIN MUCH??
The alps for example are much higher, get more frequent atlantic storm systems, and have also orographic lift. But no place in alps gets that much as alta!
The same goes with british columbia mountains that are so much near the ocean and they nearly get that amount of snow.
Also Alta is near semi arid lower elevation places.
Ok you can say orographic lift
But SO FREAKIN MUCH??
The alps for example are much higher, get more frequent atlantic storm systems, and have also orographic lift. But no place in alps gets that much as alta! The same goes with british columbia mountains that are so much near the ocean and they nearly get that amount of snow.
Also Alta is near semi arid lower elevation places.
They get plenty-in some places even more. Granduc mine outside of Stewart, BC averaged about 600 inches a year while it was in service for about 25 years. This was at an elevation of about 2500 ft., I believe.
Probably a combination of orographic lift and lake-effect snow from the Great Salt Lake. The fact that the lake is saline, unlike the lakes of the humid northeast, probably affects the quality of the snow as well.
13 meters is a huge amount of snow for one year, but it isn't the highest; that could be in the Cascades, where much of the higher elevations can get 15-20m averages, and from the coastal mountains of BC. NZ and the southern Andes may also have similar places, so mountains above mid-latitude, especially humid oceanic climates are the snowiest places in general.
Further east, at equal elevations in Colorado, the snowfall is much less (e.g. Georgetown gets 2.7m). 13m is not necessary for a ski resort, either.
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