Utah’s Water Situation Brightens as Summer Begins

Officials in the State of Utah are reporting favorable water conditions heading into the summer thanks to an unexpectedly high snowmelt in recent years. 

While unfavorable drought conditions still exist in the beehive state, the actual locations have shrunk considerably thanks to the moisture received during the winter. 

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, as of May 23, most of eastern Utah is affected by D0 level drought conditions, which is the lowest level on their scale. Southern Utah is most affected by D0 drought conditions in the southeastern part of Washington County and most of Kane County is under similar conditions. 

Compared to some of the neighboring states surrounding Utah, the summer season may kick off on a positive note. Arizona and New Mexico are in rough state heading into the summer with most of the two states under drought conditions of D1 and above. 

Water managers across Utah are holding onto as much reservoir storage as possible to take advantage of this uncommon situation.  

Despite the positive news for Utah residents, officials from the Intermountain West Drought and Climate Outlook are still advising residents to be cautious in the coming months as temperatures rise across the state. 

Southern Utah usually hosts temperatures over 100 degrees from June to August, and this year will most likely be more of the same song. 

More information on the current drought conditions of Utah and the rest of the United States can be found on the official website for the Utah Department of Natural Resources, including ways to prepare for heavy drought conditions.