Record-setting snow in Utah brings hope for drought relief
Utah is experiencing an unexpected turn of events as record-setting snowpack this fall and winter season brings hope for relief from drought conditions.
Just six months ago, the state was facing one of the hottest summers on record, leaving farmers and ranchers out of water and lawns turning brown.
However, chief meteorologist Sterling Polson reports that the snowpack is currently measuring at 150 inches of depth, which is 12.5 feet, and 56 inches of water sitting in the snow at the Atwater snotel site across the road from Alta Ski Resort.
The snowpack measurements are well above the historical average of 10 inches in mid-March, with some mountain ranges ranging from 156 percent to 239 percent of normal snowpack levels.
This is unusual and provides hope for the drought situation to improve.
Factors that determine drought severity include precipitation levels, snowpack water content, moisture in the soil and aquifers, and water levels in reservoirs.
While some reservoirs such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead will take a
