Alta, Utah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alta, Utah
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Town
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Alta Ski Area, February 2011
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Location in Salt Lake County and the state of Utah.
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Location of Utah in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Utah | |
| County | Salt Lake | |
| Settled | 1865 | |
| Incorporated | 1970 | |
| Named for | Spanish for 'high' | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Mayor/Council | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 4.1 sq mi (11 km2) | |
| • Land | 4.1 sq mi (11 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) | |
| Elevation | 8,560 ft (2,610 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 228 | |
| • Density | 55.6/sq mi (21.47/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) | |
| ZIP code |
84092
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| Area codes | 385, 801 | |
| FIPS code | 49-00650 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 1437483 | |
| Website | www.townofalta.com | |
Alta is a small town located in the eastern part of Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is known for its amazing Alta Ski Area, a popular place for skiing. The town is part of the larger Salt Lake City area.
In 2020, about 228 people lived in Alta. This number was lower than in 2010, when 383 people lived there. The town is famous for its deep, soft snow, which skiers love. Interestingly, Alta is one of the few ski resorts that does not allow snowboarding.
Contents
History of Alta: From Mining to Skiing
Alta has a rich history, especially in the world of skiing in Utah. The town began around 1865. It was built to house miners who worked in the silver mines of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Mines like the Emma mine and Flagstaff mine were very important here.
Early Mining Days and Challenges
The Emma mine was known for its very rich silver ore. This made its owners able to sell the mine for a lot of money in 1871. However, the silver soon ran out. This caused some big problems and even led to government hearings.
In 1873, something interesting supposedly happened in Alta. This event later inspired an episode of the TV show The Twilight Zone called "Mr. Garrity and the Graves".
Disasters hit the mining town. A big fire in 1878 and a huge avalanche in 1885 destroyed most of Alta. Even so, some mining continued into the 1900s.
The Birth of Alta Ski Area
By the 1930s, only one person, George Watson, still lived in Alta. He owned many mining claims. To avoid paying back taxes, Watson gave much of his land to the U.S. Forest Service. He had one condition: the land had to be used to build a ski area.
In 1935, a famous Norwegian skier named Alf Engen was hired. He helped design and develop the new ski area. Alta opened its first ski lift in 1938.
By the end of the 20th century, Alta became very popular. Up to 7,000 people would visit the slopes each day. This led to a lot of traffic in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Today, Alta is a small town that is mostly focused on its famous ski resort.
Alta During the COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Alta was part of a special study. This study looked at how likely it was for diseases to spread at ski resorts. Researchers found that buses to the resort and riding ski lifts were safe. Waiting in line for ski lifts was also considered safe.
However, the study showed that eating indoors at restaurants was not very safe. Locker rooms were only safe if people spoke quietly. This study helped Alta and other resorts plan for safety during the pandemic.
Geography of Alta: A High Mountain Town
Alta is located in a beautiful mountain area. The town covers about 4.1 square miles (10.5 square kilometers). Only a tiny part of this area is water.
Alta is one of the highest towns in Utah. It sits at about 8,950 feet (2,728 meters) above sea level. This makes it one of the highest cities in America.
Population and People of Alta
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In 2010, there were 386 people living in Alta. These people lived in 156 different homes. Most of the people living in Alta were white.
The population was mostly male, with about 67 percent being men and 33 percent being women. A small number of people were under 18 years old (4.7 percent). Also, a small group, 2.6 percent, were 65 years or older.
Climate of Alta: Lots of Snow!
Alta has a high-altitude climate. This means it has cold winters and mild summers. It gets a lot of snow, especially because it is close to the Great Salt Lake. This causes something called lake-effect snow.
Alta gets an average of over 507 inches (12.9 meters) of snow each year! In the winter of 1982-1983, Alta received an amazing 900 inches (22.9 meters) of snow. This led to record flooding when the snow melted in the spring. In 1983, Alta had a record 108.54 inches (2,757 mm) of total precipitation. This was the most for any calendar year in the Mountain West region.
| Climate data for Alta, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
58 (14) |
65 (18) |
69 (21) |
76 (24) |
82 (28) |
94 (34) |
84 (29) |
83 (28) |
85 (29) |
64 (18) |
59 (15) |
94 (34) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47.8 (8.8) |
46.5 (8.1) |
52.6 (11.4) |
58.3 (14.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
75.8 (24.3) |
80.5 (26.9) |
78.6 (25.9) |
73.9 (23.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
54.7 (12.6) |
46.9 (8.3) |
81.0 (27.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.7 (−0.7) |
30.7 (−0.7) |
36.8 (2.7) |
42.3 (5.7) |
52.6 (11.4) |
64.4 (18.0) |
72.9 (22.7) |
71.3 (21.8) |
62.2 (16.8) |
49.5 (9.7) |
37.4 (3.0) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
48.4 (9.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.9 (−5.1) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
33.6 (0.9) |
43.0 (6.1) |
53.3 (11.8) |
61.6 (16.4) |
60.2 (15.7) |
51.7 (10.9) |
40.3 (4.6) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
39.1 (4.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.0 (−9.4) |
15.4 (−9.2) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
33.4 (0.8) |
42.2 (5.7) |
50.3 (10.2) |
49.1 (9.5) |
41.1 (5.1) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
14.5 (−9.7) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −3.1 (−19.5) |
−1.5 (−18.6) |
3.3 (−15.9) |
9.1 (−12.7) |
18.2 (−7.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
39.5 (4.2) |
38.6 (3.7) |
25.3 (−3.7) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
1.0 (−17.2) |
−3.7 (−19.8) |
−7.2 (−21.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−19 (−28) |
−8 (−22) |
1 (−17) |
10 (−12) |
20 (−7) |
31 (−1) |
30 (−1) |
16 (−9) |
−4 (−20) |
−16 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
−26 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.37 (162) |
5.40 (137) |
6.17 (157) |
4.78 (121) |
3.47 (88) |
1.96 (50) |
1.48 (38) |
2.07 (53) |
2.58 (66) |
3.50 (89) |
4.17 (106) |
5.13 (130) |
47.08 (1,197) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 74.7 (190) |
81.2 (206) |
71.4 (181) |
50.0 (127) |
15.9 (40) |
4.4 (11) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.6 (6.6) |
24.4 (62) |
53.9 (137) |
79.8 (203) |
458.3 (1,163.6) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 87.3 (222) |
101.6 (258) |
107.5 (273) |
99.6 (253) |
66.7 (169) |
17.8 (45) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.7 (6.9) |
15.3 (39) |
36.4 (92) |
60.6 (154) |
115.3 (293) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.0 | 11.9 | 10.7 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 9.6 | 11.2 | 14.7 | 129.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 13.6 | 13.1 | 12.2 | 10.0 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 5.1 | 9.7 | 14.0 | 84.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Alta (Utah) para niños
