Mountain snow crucial to keep Utah out of drought, NWS says

SALT LAKE CITY — Last weekend’s storms brought plenty of rain and snow to the state. Meteorologists said mountain snow is crucial when it comes to preventing a drought in the summer. The valleys received mostly rain in last weekend’s storms, which National Weather Service senior meteorologist Monica Traphagan said is good, but not as good as mountain snow. “The main driver of when we talk about drought (and) our water supply is going to be that mountain snowpack,” she said. According to Traphagan, last weekend’s storm was ideal because it brought plenty of dense mountain snow. “With the snow being so dense, that’s going to get the greater amount of water than you might normally get with these storm totals, which is really gonna help with our snowpack,” Traphagan said. She said valley rain is mainly helpful for improving vegetation and soil moisture, but building more snowpack is best for the state heading into the spring months.

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