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SALT LAKE CITY -- It is the middle of May, but the snowpack in northern Utah's mountains look more like March, with snowpack levels over 200 percent of normal conditions.
Veteran water officials believe the chances of severe -- even potentially damaging -- runoff are increasing daily. And with the recent cool weather, many experts are worried that imminent flooding is expected. With uncharacteristically cold weather, runoff is slowed down. But the danger is that temperatures will rise drastically in the next few weeks, causing flooding.
At the south fork of the Ogden River, the flooding has already begun.
We need to melt this snowpack off. We needed to do this about 6 weeks ago. So every day that we're colder than normal, is just another day we can't get this snow off and we compress our melt window.
–Brian McInerney
"There's a lot of snowpack up there," said Bob Wright, campground manager of American Land and Leisure. "So, we're just hoping that it comes gradually."
On Monday, the south fork of the Ogden River was at 115 percent of flood stage. But because temperatures have been 10 degrees lower than normal, the river has dropped to 105 percent of flood stage.
"We've had such an active weather pattern all the way through since November," said National Weather Service hydrologist Brian McInerney. The snowpack in many Utah mountains, like above City Creek Canyon, are above 200 percent of normal.
"We need to melt this snowpack off. We needed to do this about 6 weeks ago," McInerney added. "So every day that we're colder than normal, is just another day we can't get this snow off and we compress our melt window."
If temperatures increase quickly as June approaches, the runoff will be fast and furious, causing more flooding.
"It's going to come down and jump the banks and cause some problems in the Salt Lake area," said McInerney. That could cause property damage in neighborhoods along streams throughout the region. But even worse, with flooding, comes the potential for accidental drownings.
"It's really important at this time to monitor your kids and use really good judgment when you're on these waters," McInerney emphasized. "Because they're going to be very dangerous."
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
