"Utah's Pristine White Snow Loses Its Luster with Dusty Intrusion"

Dust blowing off the dry areas around Utah's receding Great Salt Lake is coating the snow on nearby slopes, causing early melting and shorter ski seasons. A study found that the snow coating the Wasatch Mountains was the dustiest it had been in 14 years. The dust makes the snow melt faster, putting pressure on water systems and increasing the risk of wildfires. The shrinking lake exacerbates the problem, potentially leading to a "toxic dust bowl" and ecological and human health disasters.