Winter by the numbers: Just how much snow did Utah get this year?
We all know Utah just experienced a historic winter. There are dozens of ways to measure just how intense it’s been — here are just a few.
How much snow has Utah gotten?
Snowpack, the amount of snow on the ground that has not melted because of below-freezing temperatures, was at 183% of normal levels as of Sunday, according to climate research organization Snoflo. That’s down from 192% last week.
The deepest snowpack observed has been at Alta, which reached a depth of 209 inches — that’s compared to the 90 inches that’s typical of this time of year.
Salt Lake City received 87 inches of snow total this winter, marking the first year there’s been more than 80 inches since 1996.
Ski resorts have also gotten record levels of snow, with Alta Ski Area at a seasonal total of 877 inches, Brighton Resort at 850 inches and Snowbird at 809 inches.
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How much water is that?
Record levels of snow also means record levels of water. This winter’s snow water equivalent, or the amount of water in the snow, has surpassed records at 30 inches.
That’s the highest the snow water equivalent has been since 1983 — it was 26 inches then — when a historic flood swept through Salt Lake City.
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The snowmelt runoff is forecast to be above 200% of normal in some parts of Utah, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
All that water provides some hope for the Great Salt Lake, which has risen 3 feet since its historic low in November. Rocky Mountain Power expects Bear Lake to rise up to 10 feet this summer.
Whether Utahns are ecstatic from extra powder days and a possible dent made in the drought or sick and tired of school cancellations and dangerous driving conditions, this winter has certainly been one for the books.
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