Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Snowpack And Water Supply topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NRCS: Utah snowpack near normal statewide but Southern basins remain well below
Summary
Jordan Clayton of the NRCS reported statewide snow water equivalent at about 103% of the 1991–2020 median, with northern basins recovering while Southern Utah shows persistent deficits and several SNOTEL sites ranking among the lowest on record.
Jordan Clayton, snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, told the Board of Water Resources that statewide snow water equivalent (SWE) measured at SNOTEL sites was slightly above the 1991–2020 normal, at roughly 103% of median for the date, and trending toward a near‑normal statewide peak in the next few weeks.
Clayton said that northern Utah basins have recovered substantially compared with late winter, while Southern Utah remains “persistently poor” and several SNOTEL sites in the southwest are at or near record low seasonal totals for the agency’s period of record. He noted three sites currently setting records for least snow and three others ranking second lowest on the record. "We're almost at our normal peak snow water equivalent for the state," Clayton said, but he cautioned that southern basins began the season very late and that two‑to‑three month delays in onset there have limited recovery.
Clayton summarized other indicators of water supply: statewide precipitation year‑to‑date was about 102% of normal, reservoir storage statewide was about 79% of capacity, and shallow soil sensors (2‑ and 8‑inch depth) show wetting; deeper 20‑inch sensors remain below normal, indicating limited subsurface moisture recovery. He warned that SWE concentrated at lower elevations relative to higher‑elevation storage can give a misleadingly optimistic view of water available for runoff, since high‑elevation snow stores proportionally more water for basin runoff.
On forecasts, Clayton said the most likely runoff outcome would place statewide April SWE a bit above normal, though peaking above the very wet 2023 season is unlikely. He provided the division’s mid‑range forecast for the Great Salt Lake at about elevation 41.93 feet (mid‑probability scenario) and said streamflow percentiles remain low heading into the runoff season. "I don't have much vested interest in things beyond an 8–14 day outlook," he said, and urged caution about forecasts with longer lead times.
Board members thanked Clayton for the update and asked follow‑up questions about normals and trends; Clayton said shifting 30‑year normals (the change from 1981–2010 to 1991–2020) altered some maps and percent‑of‑average calculations for streamflow and soil moisture more than for SWE itself.
