Traditions and culture in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City still doffs its cap to the hard-working and creative early Mormon settlers who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

It boasts a wide range of cultural activities, such as Pioneer Day (July 24th), which commemorates the anniversary of the Mormons' arrival in the Salt Lake Valley and is celebrated with a week of festivities.

Other major festivals include the city's gay pride parade, the family-orientated First Night on New Year's Eve and the Greek Festival, which pays homage to Utah's rich Greek heritage.

The city is also home to several museums and attracts a number of Broadway performances, while the local music scene is dominated by blues, rock and roll, punk and emo groups.

Things to do in Salt Lake City

With its unique location between an inland sea and a snowcapped range of 3,330m mountains, Salt Lake City naturally attracts outgoing travellers looking for an adrenaline-fuelled holiday.

Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are particularly prevalent in the Wasatch Mountains to the east, while there are six ski resorts within 50 miles of the city.

When the weather changes in the summer, holidaymakers book flights to the region to experience the great opportunities for hiking, camping, rock climbing and mountain biking.

The main tourist attractions also include the Latter-Day Saints (LDS) related Temple Square, which is open to the public for free and contains the historic Tabernacle, home to the renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The This is the Place Heritage Park, which gives a unique insight into 19-century LDS life, is also worth a visit, while Liberty Park contains a picturesque lake and an array of birds.

Weather in Salt Lake City

Naturally, anyone looking to book flights to the city for a fun-packed outdoor holiday will be interested in its climate trends.

Winters can be oppressively cold, with temperatures falling as low as -18C and average temperatures generally standing at around -5C.

However, the tables are turned during June, July and August and the mercury can regularly hit 30C, while up to eight days a year on average will top 35C.

Destination checklist for Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City has a population of 1.7 million.

The city is seven hours behind GMT/UTC time.

The official currency is the US dollar.

English is the official language spoken.

The city's international dialling code is +1.