Utah’s snowpack is now in record-poor condition, according to the latest Water Supply Outlook Report for Utah. The statewide snow water equivalent measured at Utah Snow Survey’s SNOTEL weather stations dipped below the previous minimum at the end of January. Since then, statewide snow wat er equivalent has continued to set new record minimums each day for all observations going back to the beginning of the SNOTEL era in 1980.  As of Feb. 5, 32 of Utah’s 140 SNOTEL sites were reporting a record low amount of snow water equivalent for this date, and 14 more were second lowest. Combined, that amounts to a third of Utah’s SNOTEL network that is at its worst or second-worst amount of snowpack. Of Utah’s major basins, four have a record-low snow water equivalent based on current conditions (Weber-Ogden, Provo-Utah Lake-Jordan, Tooele Valley-Vernon Creek, and Lower Sevier), with all others hovering very close to setting record lows except for the Bear, Beaver, and Escalante-Paria watersheds (which are still well-below normal). As of Feb. 1 statewide snow water equivalent was 56% of median, which is a 20% drop from last month’s value, and a 40% drop from the beginning of December.  The report poses a question: Can the state’s snowpack recover in time this winter?  Utah’s statewide snow water equivalent is only at about one-third of its normal statewide annual peak with less than two months to go in the typical snow accumulation season. Snowpack projections using the range of previous observations suggest that there is only about a 10% chance of reaching a normal snowpack peak this winter, the report said.  The odds of ending the snowpack season with a record-low peak snow water equivalent have increased to around 30%. Numerous significant storms would have to hit the state to offer reasonable odds of recovery at this point given the substantial snow water equivalent deficits observed at Utah’s SNOTEL sites: ranging from 3 to 8 inches below normal in most areas and as high as around 13 inches below normal for the Ben Lomond Peak SNOTEL site.  While January precipitation in Utah was below normal at 75%, Utah’s water-year-to-date precipitation is still close to normal (96% of median). Statewide soil moisture is at 51% of saturation, which is up 12% from last year at this time and corresponds with around the 70th percentile of observations. The above-normal soil moisture levels in Utah’s mountains may promote efficient snowmelt runoff this spring if there’s snow. Utah’s snowpack provides the vast majority of its water supply. According to the report, the state has benefitted greatly from the massive snowpack during the 2023 winter and the abundant water provided thereafter to our reservoir system. “At this point, that benefit has more or less run its course; current reservoir storage is at 64% of capacity (not counting Lake Powell or Flaming Gorge Reservoir), which is down 12% from this time last year but matches the 10 year average for Feb. 1 (and is still higher than at this time in 2022 or 2023),” the report read.  See the full report below: WSOR_Feb_2026Download The post Snowpack breaks record low in latest state water report appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less