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ESFSLC
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
WATER SUPPLY SUMMARY
1245 PM MST THU MAR 7 2013
...UTAH FLOOD POTENTIAL...
STATE OF UTAH GENERAL OUTLOOK
THE THREAT OF FLOODING FOR UTAH IS CURRENTLY LOW. SNOWPACKS ARE
BELOW NORMAL STATEWIDE. HOWEVER...THERE REMAINS A SLIM CHANCE THAT
A HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT DURING PEAK FLOW TIME COULD ENHANCE RIVER
FLOWS TO NEAR FLOOD STAGE...BUT THIS SCENARIO IS NOT LIKELY.
THE RUNOFF PROCESS IS BASED ON THREE ASPECTS. FIRST...FALL
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS DETERMINE THE SOIL MOISTURE. BELOW NORMAL
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WERE RECEIVED THIS PAST FALL ACROSS SOUTHERN
UTAH...WITH NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL AMOUNTS OBSERVED ACROSS
THE NORTH. CONSEQUENTLY...SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH
ARE NEAR NORMAL...WITH DRY SOIL MOISTURE CONDITIONS LOCATED ACROSS
THE SOUTH...MOST PRONOUNCED IN THE SOUTHEAST DRAINAGES OF THE
STATE. NOWHERE IN UTAH ARE SOIL MOISTURE LEVELS ABOVE NORMAL.
THE SECOND PART OF THE EQUATION COMES IN THE FORM OF SNOWFALL. IT
IS IMPORTANT TO ACCUMULATE SNOW DURING THE COURSE OF THE WINTER AND
INTO EARLY SPRING. THIS YEARS SNOWPACK IS LACKING AND BELOW
AVERAGE...WITH CURRENT SNOWPACKS NEARLY 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL
STATEWIDE.
THE THIRD ASPECT OF THE EQUATION COMES IN THE FORM OF SPRING
WEATHER. IF WE EXPERIENCE A COOL...WET SPRING...RUNOFF
EFFICIENCY WILL BE VERY GOOD...WHILE ON THE OTHER HAND IF WE HAVE A
DRY AND WARM SPRING WITH SNOWMELT OCCURRING EARLIER...LESS WATER
WILL MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE RESERVOIRS.
WITH THAT SAID...THE FLOOD THREAT IS LOW FOR THE 2013 RUNOFF
SEASON. PERIODS OF INTENSE RAINFALL MAY EXACERBATE THE RUNOFF
PROCESS AND PRODUCE LOCALIZED SHORT TERM FLOODING...BUT THESE EVENTS
ARE RARE.
THIS OUTLOOK WILL BE UPDATED AS WE MOVE INTO THE SPRING MONTHS.
MCINERNEY
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