Spring is just around the corner — though it may not feel like it with the recent onslaught of flurries.
The late-season storms are helping Utah’s snowpack inch ahead with just about a month left until it peaks around April 1. This winter has been better than normal compared to the state’s 30-year average, but it’s still a ways away from the record-breaking snowfall last year.
Utah had received around 14.4 inches of snow water equivalent, or how much water there would be if the snowpack melted, as of Feb. 29, which was the end of the meteorological winter.
Weekend storms brought additional snow to the mountains, boosting the total to 15.5 inches as of Tuesday. The snowpack usually reaches around 16 inches by the early April peak, according to National Resources Conservation Service data.
A National Weather Service snowfall report shows around 10 inches of snow fell at Canyons Village and Park City Mountain over the last 72 hours with 6.5 inches measured in the Snyderville Basin.
The snowpack’s historical median for this time of year is around 12 inches, though the winter of 2023 brought 19.3 inches to the state by the end of February.
“Above-normal snowpack is a significant win for our state as a whole, especially with our rocky start,” said Candice Hasenyager, the director of the Division of Water Resources, in mid-February. “It positions us well for the coming months and emphasizes the positive impact of recent weather patterns.”
Winter seemed slow to arrive with scarce precipitation at the start of the season. The snowpack started slightly behind in early January at around 25% below average, though it increased to 98% of normal by the start of February.
Now, the snowpack is around 122% of the median.
Watersheds in the central and northern portions of Utah have benefitted from the storms the most, though every region is above average in terms of its snow water equivalent.
The Weber-Ogden basin, which includes Summit County, was around 128% of normal as of Monday and is one of the top-performing areas in the state. The Lower Sevier basin was the highest at 133%, and Southwestern Utah was the lowest at 104%.
Reservoirs throughout the state also remain at high capacity because of the effects of last winter, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. Storage was around 82% statewide as of late February. It’s usually around 53% at this time of year.
Rockport Reservoir was around 85% full as of Tuesday while the Jordanelle Reservoir was at around 81% capacity. Meanwhile, Echo Reservoir is at 73%, and the Smith and Morehouse Reservoir was around 56% full.
“The record-setting snowpack provided some much-needed relief for Utah’s water supply, and 2023-2024 has been abundant, too,” the Division of Water Resources said, “but since we don’t know when another wet year will come along, we need to unite and focus on reducing water use so we have enough in the future. By continuing to conserve — and finding new ways to stretch the supply — we’ll become more drought-resilient as a state.”
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake forecasted a bit more snow throughout the state through Thursday as the last wave of the weekend storm makes its way across Utah. Accumulations are expected to be light.
Conditions are expected to dry out later until the middle of next week. The seven-day forecast calls for daily highs in the mid-40s with lows around 30.