Halfway through December, the average monthly temperature was 42 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s almost 9 degrees above average.
Since Nov. 1, the start of Utah’s water year, Park City has received 2.8 inches of snow. That’s a record low for the Wasatch Back.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brittany Whitlam said the Salt Lake valley hasn’t seen any measurable snowfall this season.
“This winter season, we're currently sitting at the fifth latest measurable snowfall on record, and those records date back to 1884,” she said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Friday. “We do have a ways to go for the latest first snow, which currently stands at Jan. 2, and that occurred in 1891.”
While snowfall records date back more than 140 years, the National Weather Service didn’t begin tracking temperature trends until 1992. Since then, Whitlam said meteorologists have noticed a pattern.
“We have seen an overall upward trend in temperature, pretty much across the entire West,” she said.
Utah water experts and meteorologists say, despite the record lows through November and into December, hope is not lost for Utah’s winter this year.
Whitlam said a few storms are expected before Christmas, possibly bringing snow.
“We're pretty behind on what we should be for this time of year, but it is worth noting that March is usually the month that makes or breaks our winter seasons,” she said.
Utah’s snowpack typically peaks around the beginning of April and Utah’s water experts say two or three good storm cycles could bring the state up to normal levels.
In its most recent water conditions update, experts say Utah’s soil moisture is above normal for this time of year. Well-saturated soil is good when it comes to spring runoff because it allows snowmelt to run into reservoirs instead of seeping into the dry ground.
In Utah, about 95% of the water supply comes from the snowpack. Reservoir storage helps preserve the water for dry summer months and drought years.
