Weather analysts say February wet storms will increase snowpack

SALT LAKE CITY — February is bringing some strong numbers when it comes to Utah’s snowpack along the Wasatch Front.

For people in the valleys, Monday’s storm is just rain, but it is mostly snow in mountain resorts like Snowbasin Resort.

“We’ll take (it) any way we can get it right, especially right now that we’ve had a very dry winter up until now with just a few big snowfalls,” Hanna Blackwell, a skier at Snowbasin said.

Skiers like the Blackwell family are holding out hope, for the weeks ahead, for more of the white stuff.

“I think the cycle’s going to break. I think February and March are going to produce,” Brian Blackwell said.

Utah’s snowpack is starting off below average, but has potential to increase

But in some ways, February is already starting well when it comes to the snowpack.

“We’re at 1.10. so we’ve already beat last February,” KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said. “Last February, we did .84.”

Johnson said that in just five days, the snowpack started to catch up after a pretty dry December.

“As seasonal snowpack concern is concerned. There’s no way we catch up to last year, but we’re hoping that February and March can produce rather well so that we can stay on that normal line,” he said.

It’s especially nice for people who like to be out in the snow. Blackwell just hopes one furry weather forecaster got his forecast wrong.

“The groundhogs are going back underground, and it’s going to dump, and it’s coming,” Hanna Blackwell said.

According to the Utah Division of Water Resources data, most reservoirs along the Wasatch Front are sitting between 65% and 90% full.