With an onslaught of recent snowstorms crossing through Utah, the state now has about 96% of the normal amount of water stored in snow as it typically does this time of year.
That number, however, doesn’t evenly apply to each region. Some southern portions of the state are at less than half of what would normally be expected.
On Dec. 17, the Utah Department of Water Resources reported the state was at 81% of its median for how much water is usually stored in snow at that time.
Then, according to Laura Haskell, the division’s drought coordinator, a series of snowstorms beginning the week of Christmas made a difference, bringing the snow water equivalent closer to normal.
The northwestern corner of the state has actually passed its regular mark and is at 117%. Meanwhile, the corner to its direct south is lagging behind at only 34%.
Part of the reason why, said Haskell, are the current conditions brought on by La Nina, a weather pattern where temperatures cool over the Pacific Ocean that typically leads to drier seasons in southern states, including southern Utah.
Glen Merrill, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service’s Salt Lake City office, doesn’t expect that to change, even as forecasts predict the next few months “to be relatively active, storm-track wise, in northern Utah.”
“We’re actually expecting southern Utah to remain on the drier side,” he said. “It’s also where drought status is most elevated across the state, in southwestern Utah and Washington County specifically. They’re back into a severe drought status.”
Even with the drier season, Haskell pointed out that, given the amount of water currently stored in Utah’s reservoirs, the situation could be worse.
“We kind of take the approach of ‘plan for the worst, but hope for the best,’” she said. “That’s why we have these larger reservoirs that do hold multiple years of water.”
Given the snow that Utah has had over the last two years, she said those “reservoirs are actually doing quite well,” and are about 78% full across the state, “about 20% higher than what’s typical for this time of year.”
And, with 90 days left before Utah typically sees its peak snowpack, she said things could change — a point Merrill also emphasized.
“Everything is dictated by the weather. The best we can do is look at weather outlooks,” he said. “Currently, northern Utah still looks like we’re going to be doing OK storm wise. … Further south in the state, it is looking to be drier.”
