Editing Alta, Utah

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Alta, Utah
| nickname                 = 
| settlement_type          = Town
| motto                    = 
| image_skyline            = Alta ski lessons - Feb 21, 2011.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = [[Alta Ski Area]], February 2011
| image_flag               = Flag of Alta, Utah.svg
| flag_size                = 
| image_seal               = 
| seal_size                = 
| image_shield             = 
| shield_size              = 
| image_blank_emblem       = 
| blank_emblem_size        = 
| image_map                = Salt Lake County Utah incorporated and unincorporated areas Alta highlighted.svg
| map_caption              = Location in [[Salt Lake County, Utah|Salt Lake County]] and the state of [[Utah]].
| image_map1               = Map of USA UT.svg
| mapsize1                 = 
| map_caption1             = Location of Utah in the United States
| image_dot_map            = 
| dot_mapsize              = 
| dot_map_caption          = 
| dot_x                    = 
| dot_y                    = 
| pushpin_map              = <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption      = 
| pushpin_mapsize          = 
| subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Utah]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Utah|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Salt Lake County, Utah|Salt Lake]]
| subdivision_type3        = 
| subdivision_name3        = 
| subdivision_type4        = 
| subdivision_name4        = 
| government_footnotes     = 
| government_type          = Mayor/Council
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = Roger Bourke (2021)<ref>{{cite web|title=Town of Alta Town Council|url=https://townofalta.com/town-government/town-council/}}</ref>
| established_title        = Settled
| established_date         = 1865
| established_title2       = [[Incorporated town|Incorporated]]
| established_date2        = 1970
| established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
| established_date3        = 
| named_for                = [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for 'high'
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref>{{cite web|title=2019 US Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_49.txt|publisher=US Census Bureau|accessdate=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi         = 4.1
| area_land_sq_mi          = 4.1
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01
| area_water_percent       = 
| area_urban_km2           = 
| area_urban_sq_mi         = 
| area_metro_km2           = 
| area_metro_sq_mi         = 
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_note          = 
| population_total         = 228
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| population_metro         = 
| population_density_metro_sq_mi = 
| population_urban         = 
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 
| population_blank1_title  = 
| population_blank1        = 
| population_density_blank1_sq_mi = 
| timezone                 = [[UTC-07:00|MST]]
| utc_offset               = -7
| timezone_DST             = [[UTC-06:00|MDT]]
| utc_offset_DST           = -6
| coordinates              = {{coord|40|34|51|N|111|38|14|W|region:US-UT|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes      = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
| elevation_ft             = 8560
| postal_code_type         = ZIP code
| postal_code              = 84092
| area_codes               = [[Area codes 385 and 801|385, 801]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 49-00650<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=US Census Bureau|accessdate=31 January 2008|title=US Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 1437483<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=31 January 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=25 October 2007}}</ref>
| website                  = [http://www.townofalta.com/ www.townofalta.com]
| footnotes                = 
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
}}
'''Alta''' is a town in eastern [[Salt Lake County, Utah|Salt Lake County]], [[Utah]], United States. It is part of the [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]], Utah [[Salt Lake City metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. The population was 228 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], a large decrease from the 2010 figure of 383.

Alta is centered in the [[Alta Ski Area]], a [[ski resort]] that has 500,000 annual visitors. It is known for its powder skiing<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/2408093/unspoken-rules-powder-skiing|title=The 11 Unspoken Rules of Powder Skiing|date=17 January 2020|accessdate=21 January 2021|publisher=Outdoor Magazine}}</ref> and its decision to not allow [[snowboarding]].

==History==
[[File:UTHA1879 pg67 ALTA CITY AND EMMA MINE.jpg|thumb|left|The Emma Silver Mine and the City (c.1875)]]
[[File:Cecret Lake Panorama Albion Basin Alta Utah July 2009.jpg|thumb|left|Cecret Lake near Alta]]
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2010}}
Alta has been important to the [[Development of Skiing in Utah|development of skiing in Utah]]. Alta was founded about 1865 to house miners from the Emma mine, the Flagstaff mine, and other [[silver mining|silver mines]] in [[Little Cottonwood Canyon]]. Sensationally rich silver ore in the Emma mine enabled its owners to sell the mine at an inflated price to British investors in 1871.<ref>{{cite web|title=Emma Mine|publisher=mineswindles.com|url=http://www.miningswindles.com/html/emma_mine.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/volume_23_1955/s/95082|title=The Infamous Emma Mine: A British Interest in the Little Cottonwood District, Utah Territory|publisher=Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol. 23|date=1955|accessdate=20 January 2021}}</ref> The subsequent exhaustion of the Emma ore body led to the recall of the American ambassador to Great Britain, who was a director of the company, and to Congressional hearings in Washington DC on the transaction.<ref>Dan Plazak, ''A Hole in the Ground with a Liar at the Top'', Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-87480-840-7}}, pp. 39-77.</ref>

An alleged incident that occurred in the town in 1873 was adapted by [[Rod Serling]] for the episode entitled "[[Mr. Garrity and the Graves]]" of his television series ''[[The Twilight Zone]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-03-31 |title='Resurrecting' Utah's biggest April Fools' hoaxes |url=https://www.deseret.com/2000/3/31/19499048/resurrecting-utah-s-biggest-april-fools-hoaxes/ |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref> The legend was also used as the basis for an episode of ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', entitled “Miracle at Boot Hill” (S10 E10). 

An 1878 fire and an 1885 avalanche destroyed most of the original mining town, though some mining activity persisted into the 20th century. By the 1930s, only one resident, George Watson, remained in the town. Facing back taxes on mining claims that he owned, Watson donated much of his land in Alta to the [[United States Forest Service|U.S. Forest Service]], stipulating that the land be used to construct a ski area. In 1935, Norwegian skiing legend [[Alf Engen]] was hired to help develop the area, and Alta opened its first [[ski lift]] in 1938. By the end of the twentieth century, up to 7,000 people per day could be found on the Alta slopes, and traffic in the Little Cottonwood Canyon was nearing gridlock proportions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/1/17/22227607/salt-lake-ski-areas-gov-spencer-cox-gondola-wasatch-canyon-little-cottonwood-canyon-alta-snowbird|title=Governor considers gondola to solve canyon gridlock|publisher=Deseret News|date=17 January 2021|accessdate=20 January 2021}}</ref>

Today, Alta is a small town centered around the Alta Ski Area.

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and subsequent government-mandated economic restrictions,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc4.com/coronavirus/how-will-covid-19-change-utahs-ski-season/|title=How Will Covid-19 Change Utah's Ski Season?|date=18 November 2020|publisher=ABC4 News, Salt Lake City UT|accessdate=20 January 2021}}</ref> Alta briefly gained national attention when it was the only ski resort included in a detailed study of disease-transmission probabilities. The university-based study concluded that buses to the site could be made safe, traveling on ski lifts was safe, and queueing at ski lifts was safe. However, no amount of compensating factors could make indoor-dining at restaurants acceptably safe, and locker rooms could only be considered safe if occupants used "quiet voices".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2020/12/16/alta-mayor-calls-quiet/|title=Alta Mayor calls for quiet after study at resort shows how loud talking can spread coronavirus|date=16 December 2020|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|accessdate=20 January 2021}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 4.1&nbsp;square miles (10.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 0.25% is water.

At {{convert|8950|ft}}, Alta is one of the highest cities in Utah and one of the [[List of highest United States cities by state|highest in America]].

==Demographics==
{{stack|{{US Census population
|align=right
|1970= 93
|1980= 381
|1990= 397
|2000= 370
|2010= 383
|2020= 228
|footnote=US Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=US Census Bureau|title=US Census website|accessdate=17 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://governor.utah.gov/DEA/Census/2010/Cities%20and%20Counties.pdf|title=Archived copy|access-date=15 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003210445/http://governor.utah.gov/DEA/Census/2010/Cities%20and%20Counties.pdf|archive-date=3 October 2018|url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}
}}
As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 386 people in 156 households in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 93 percent [[White (U.S. Census)|white]] and 4 percent [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]].

The population was 67 percent male and 33 percent female. The population was 4.7 percent under the age of 18, and 2.6 percent was 65 or older.

==Climate==
Alta experiences a high altitude [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfb''), which borders on a [[subalpine climate]] (''Dfc''), due to its high elevation. Due to its proximity to the [[Great Salt Lake]], the town receives [[Lake-effect snow|very heavy snows]], averaging over {{convert|507|in|m}} per year. During the very wet season of 1982/1983, Alta received as much as {{convert|900|in|m}} of snow, leading to record flooding of Wasatch streams as the snow melted during May and June that year.<ref>"Utah Battles Floods, Mud"; in ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]''; June 3, 1983; p. 30</ref> Alta's total precipitation of {{convert|108.54|in|mm|1}} during 1983 is a record for a calendar year in any state of the Mountain West.<ref name="extremes">[http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/noaa_documents/NWS/NWS_WR/TM_NWS_WR_28rev2nd.pdf  "Weather Extremes"]</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Alta, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–present
|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 59
|Feb record high F = 58
|Mar record high F = 65
|Apr record high F = 69
|May record high F = 76
|Jun record high F = 82
|Jul record high F = 94
|Aug record high F = 84
|Sep record high F = 83
|Oct record high F = 85
|Nov record high F = 64
|Dec record high F = 59

|Jan avg record high F = 47.8
|Feb avg record high F = 46.5
|Mar avg record high F = 52.6
|Apr avg record high F = 58.3
|May avg record high F = 67.6
|Jun avg record high F = 75.8
|Jul avg record high F = 80.5
|Aug avg record high F = 78.6
|Sep avg record high F = 73.9
|Oct avg record high F = 65.3
|Nov avg record high F = 54.7
|Dec avg record high F = 46.9
|year avg record high F = 81.0

|Jan high F = 30.7
|Feb high F = 30.7
|Mar high F = 36.8
|Apr high F = 42.3
|May high F = 52.6
|Jun high F = 64.4
|Jul high F = 72.9
|Aug high F = 71.3
|Sep high F = 62.2
|Oct high F = 49.5
|Nov high F = 37.4
|Dec high F = 30.2
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 22.9
|Feb mean F = 23.0
|Mar mean F = 28.5
|Apr mean F = 33.6
|May mean F = 43.0
|Jun mean F = 53.3
|Jul mean F = 61.6
|Aug mean F = 60.2
|Sep mean F = 51.7
|Oct mean F = 40.3
|Nov mean F = 29.1
|Dec mean F = 22.3
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 15.0
|Feb low F = 15.4
|Mar low F = 20.2
|Apr low F = 24.8
|May low F = 33.4
|Jun low F = 42.2
|Jul low F = 50.3
|Aug low F = 49.1
|Sep low F = 41.1
|Oct low F = 31.0
|Nov low F = 20.7
|Dec low F = 14.5
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -3.1
|Feb avg record low F = -1.5
|Mar avg record low F = 3.3
|Apr avg record low F = 9.1
|May avg record low F = 18.2
|Jun avg record low F = 28.3
|Jul avg record low F = 39.5
|Aug avg record low F = 38.6
|Sep avg record low F = 25.3
|Oct avg record low F = 13.6
|Nov avg record low F = 1.0
|Dec avg record low F = -3.7
|year avg record low F = -7.2

|Jan record low F = -26
|Feb record low F = -19
|Mar record low F = -8
|Apr record low F = 1
|May record low F = 10
|Jun record low F = 20
|Jul record low F = 31
|Aug record low F = 30
|Sep record low F = 16
|Oct record low F = -4
|Nov record low F = -16
|Dec record low F = -25

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 6.37
|Feb precipitation inch = 5.40
|Mar precipitation inch = 6.17
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.78
|May precipitation inch = 3.47
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.96
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.48
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.07
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.58
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.50
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.17
|Dec precipitation inch = 5.13
|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 14.1
|Feb precipitation days = 13.9
|Mar precipitation days = 13.0
|Apr precipitation days = 11.9
|May precipitation days = 10.7
|Jun precipitation days = 6.2
|Jul precipitation days = 6.9
|Aug precipitation days = 8.6
|Sep precipitation days = 8.5
|Oct precipitation days = 9.6
|Nov precipitation days = 11.2
|Dec precipitation days = 14.7

|Jan snow inch = 74.7
|Feb snow inch = 81.2
|Mar snow inch = 71.4
|Apr snow inch = 50.0
|May snow inch = 15.9
|Jun snow inch = 4.4
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 2.6
|Oct snow inch = 24.4
|Nov snow inch = 53.9
|Dec snow inch = 79.8
|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 13.6
|Feb snow days = 13.1
|Mar snow days = 12.2
|Apr snow days = 10.0
|May snow days = 4.9
|Jun snow days = 1.3
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.8
|Oct snow days = 5.1
|Nov snow days = 9.7
|Dec snow days = 14.0

|Jan snow depth inch = 87.3
|Feb snow depth inch = 101.6
|Mar snow depth inch = 107.5
|Apr snow depth inch = 99.6
|May snow depth inch = 66.7
|Jun snow depth inch = 17.8
|Jul snow depth inch = 0.7
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
|Sep snow depth inch = 2.7
|Oct snow depth inch = 15.3
|Nov snow depth inch = 36.4
|Dec snow depth inch = 60.6
|year snow depth inch = 115.3

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00420072&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Alta, UT
|access-date = January 26, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=slc
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Salt Lake City
|access-date = January 26, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Utah}}
* [[List of cities and towns in Utah]]
* [[Twister (tree)]] – located near Alta

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==Further reading==
* (1994) [https://web.archive.org/web/20240321165157/https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/a/Alta.shtml "Alta: Mining and Skiing Center"] article in the [https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/ ''Utah History Encyclopedia''.] The article was written by Patricia Lyn Scott and the Encyclopedia was published by the University of Utah Press. ISBN 9780874804256. Archived from [https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/a/Alta.shtml the original] on March 21, 2024 and retrieved on April 1, 2024.

==External links==
{{commons category|Alta, Utah}}
{{wikivoyage|Alta (Utah)|Alta, Utah}}
* {{official website|http://townofalta.com/}}
* [http://www.discoveralta.com/ Alta Visitors Bureau] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211162808/http://www.discoveralta.com/ |date=2011-12-11 }}
* [http://www.altahistory.org/pageview.aspx?id=29744 Alta History]

{{Geographic Location
 | Centre    = Alta
 | North     = [[Emigration Canyon, Utah|Emigration Canyon]]
 | Northeast = [[Coalville, Utah|Coalville]]
 | East      = [[Park City, Utah|Park City]]
 | Southeast = [[Midway, Utah|Midway]]<br/>''[[Wasatch Mountain State Park]]'' / [[Charleston, Utah|Charleston]]
 | South     = [[Lindon, Utah|Lindon]], [[Orem, Utah|Orem]]
 | Southwest = [[Draper, Utah|Draper]]<br/>[[Alpine, Utah|Alpine]]<br/>[[Cedar Hills, Utah|Cedar Hills]]<br/>[[Pleasant Grove, Utah|Pleasant Grove]]
 | West      = [[Cottonwood Heights, Utah|Cottonwood Heights]]<br/>[[Sandy, Utah|Sandy]]
 | Northwest = [[Millcreek, Utah|Millcreek]]<br/>[[Holladay, Utah|Holladay]]
}}

{{Salt Lake County, Utah}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Salt Lake County, Utah]]
[[Category:Salt Lake City metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Mining communities in Utah]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1865]]