By Jill Adler

Lake effect snow in September?! After a seriously rainy month, the temps have dropped and that rain turned to snow EVERYWHERE in the west this week. The reports started rolling in yesterday from Colorado to California and it was only a matter of hours before the bullwheel started turning here in Utah.

2013 was Utah’s hottest summer on record and now predictions for winter point to – dare we say it?- above-normal snow and cold. Thursday’s swift storm blew in when a stream of moisture west of Hawaii met a low pressure over Alaska. The mountains could see more than 10 inches by Friday so if you didn’t get your predictions in for all of those “guess the first snowfall” contests you better do it now.

You have until 5 p.m tonight to enter Park City Mountain Resort’s annual snow contest. Let them know when you think the first storm of at least 6″ hits the mountain (um, today?); the closest date and time wins two free lift tickets. Park City’s Washington School House Hotel is a bit more generous with their contest timeline. You have until September 30 to guess.

PCMR plans to open November 23 but if this weather keeps up you might want to bust out the costumes and ski for Halloween at Brighton or Solitude.

Ready or not; here comes winter.

Here are some things that go through my head when the first frost hits:

NO! I need to buy wheels for my snow tires.

Should I still get that bikini wax?

Damn, I wasn’t going to start my pre-season conditioning until October.

Did I get my Alta pass?

Where are my ski socks?

I guess we should put away the window AC.

And finally…Hasta la vista, Tank tops! Hola, Life is Good PJs! The super soft, long-sleeve, cotton Snowman T and flannel bottoms are my perfect inspiration for dreams of snowflakes and faceshots. Yup. Life is good.