This is your daily news rundown for Thursday, April 30. In this edition:
- Utah's gas prices continue to rise due to the Iran War
- While most Utah ski resorts closed early, one is extending its season
- Prescribed burns are planned for Great Salt Lake into the weekend
Utah gas prices rose 20 cents in the last week
Gas prices continue to rise in Utah due to the Iran War.
As of Thursday morning, Brent crude — the global benchmark for oil — was at about $115 per barrel. That’s two and a half times more than where it was trading before the war.
That effect is clear at the gas pump in Utah, where the average price for a gallon of gas jumped 20 cents in the last week to $4.36, over a dollar more than the average a year ago.
However, Utah gas prices are still well under the record high of $5.26 cents per gallon, which was set in July 2022.
Most Utah ski resorts closed early, but Brighton is staying longer
While several Utah ski resorts closed early this year because of poor snowpack, one is extending its season — and offering discounts to get people in for one more run.
Brighton Resort has received almost a foot and a half of snow in the last week, allowing them to stay open through May 10.
Daily lift ticket prices have also been lowered to $49 for the last push until closing.
Before heading over to Big Cottonwood Canyon, however, guests are encouraged to check daily conditions and operation updates on the Brighton Resort's website.
Almost every other ski resort has already closed, and with Utah’s unusually warm winter, only six even made it into April.
The smoke from Great Salt Lake isn’t a wildfire — just a prescribed burn
If you see smoke along Great Salt Lake’s eastern shore over the next few days, don’t panic — it’s probably not a wildfire.
The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands is planning prescribed burns Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday, mostly along the shoreline between Ogden and Kaysville.
The agency anticipated they’ll burn around 3,000 acres to help manage invasive phragmites in the area.
To lessen the impact on neighborhoods and roadways as much as possible,they plan to burn only when the wind conditions are favorable.
In Wednesday's announcement, the agency asked residents not to report the smoke as a wildfire.
