Overview
- Record-low snow water equivalent and rapid early melt have been logged by the NRCS, with more than 15% of this month’s peak already gone and the season tracking as Utah’s worst snowpack since at least the 1980s.
- The Climate Prediction Center’s latest outlook favors above-normal temperatures and below-average precipitation, increasing the odds that snowmelt will outpace any late-season storms.
- Statewide reservoirs are about 68% full, and officials do not expect a full refill this year; Deer Creek Reservoir is 86% but may see limited additional inflow before irrigation season.
- Salt Lake City’s Stage 2 measures aim to save about 10 million gallons per day through voluntary residential cuts and mandatory 10% reductions at government facilities across its service area.
- Local water districts are preparing restrictions and urging conservation, while the state promotes agricultural efficiency and potential water purchases to boost flows to the Great Salt Lake and Lake Powell, where officials have warned of renewed low-level risks.