Let it Snow

The Utah water year runs from October 1 to September 30 in the following year. That is the period that measures how much precipitation falls on any given spot in our rather dry state. The amount of water that ends up here where I live in North Ogden, is a lackluster average of 20 inches per year. Last Friday, March 31, marked the mid-year term in our water year, so how have we done in the first 6 months considering that in all of the last year, we came up a bit short with 18.6 inches.

As it turns out, we have nothing to worry about this year. At the midpoint of our water year we stand at 21.4 inches of precipitation in North Ogden. This as you can see, is already well above the total for the entire season. So much for the drought that has been plaguing us for the last several years. Out of those 182 days so far, 75 of those had some precipitation in measurable form, 42 of those days were snow, the rest were rain. North Ogden typically has only 84 days per year of precipitation, so again, we are running well above normal. At our house we have had snow on the ground continuously since early December. We actually began to see patches of barren ground and grass in mid-March, but Mother Nature said, ‘No, not yet,’ and we are now back to about two feet of snow on the ground for the time being.

Were has this bounty come from? Our good neighbors on the coast have generously shared their copious rain and snowfall. Not willing to be contained there, it has spilled over into our state and beyond. The often quoted atmospheric river storms have pounded California with 12 massive systems among a total of 29 events in all, large and small. After a severe 3-year drought in California, they have been given a reprieve for this year and now have to contend with too much water. In Utah as well, there has been a reprieve from our own drought, but it remains to be seen how much water will help out with the low level of the Great Salt Lake and Lake Powell in southern Utah.

(There was such a miserable weather event on March 31, I decided to have some fun with the unending storm. This fanciful mix of real snow out my front door and a supposed means of getting around in it had me wondering if perhaps getting a couple of Tauntauns might help.)