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Data shows Utah snowpack slightly lower than average, but might improve

Snowpack graph
This graph shows the amount of measured snow water equivalent currently in 2025 as compared to past years. As of Jan. 21, Utah has less snowpack than usual. (National Water and Climate Center)

Utah's snowpack levels are slightly lower than average as of Jan. 21, but there is still plenty of time for that to improve, according to data provided by the National Water and Climate Center.

Utah relies heavily on snowpack for its water reserves, with most of the water supply coming from seasonal snow, Laura Haskell, drought coordinator with the Utah Division of Water Resources, said.

“About 95% of Utah’s water supply comes from the snowpack. We accumulate during the winter and then that turns into runoff, and we fill out reservoirs," Haskell said. "As of right now, the snowpack is on track to stay in the median range that it needs to be."

To put it into perspective, 2024 was above normal but still was not as good as experts hoped for.

"2023 actually broke the record of the most snow for the state of Utah," Jordan Clayton, a data collection officer for the Utah snow survey, said.

Not all of the snow is being used to convert into the water supply. Data collection officers use a variety of tools and methods to determine how much snow will end up in Utah's reservoirs.

“Snow pillows are used to measure the weight of the snow and really show us how much water we get from it,” Clayton said. There are devices to understand the depth and get the “snow pillows” to understand the water flow.

While the majority of the state has near-average snowpack levels, experts are concerned with southwest Utah, which has received barely anything.

“The majority of the state falls into the 70 to 90 percent of average range. In southern Utah, those forecasters are closer to 40 percent of average, so we aren’t anticipating that we’ll get the water to refill the reservoirs,” Haskell said.

Fortunately, Utah still has several months before the snowpack reaches peak levels, Haskell said.

“Typically, snowpack will sort of reach its peak about the first of April, and we do want to see those storms throughout the state," Haskell said. "It would be nice if those storms would hit the southern portion of the state."

Because of the snow collected over recent years and prior experience, Utah is able to handle a dry year, Haskell added.

For more information on reducing water use, visit growtheflowutah.org.