The Winter Of Our Content?

I realize if you say the word snow to the area formerly known as “Utah's Dixie” it's akin to holding up a silver cross to Dracula. Nonetheless everyone in the region has an understandable interest on our snowpack here in the area as we have been in the clutch of a years long drought that is straining our water resources.

As of today, there is some good news, or at least some good indications that there may be some easing. According to the Utah Snow Survey Program, except for a small slice on the north west portion of the state, Utah is at greater than 150% of normal snowpack. Here in the southwest part of the state we're at a whooping 218% of normal for this time of the year, and more snow is predicted through the weekend in to the first of next week. We're trending in the right direction.

The Climate Prediction Center released their drought outlook at the end of last month, and it showed Utah as “drought remains but improves” and if you look closely at the map, you will see a little sliver through the southwest part of Utah as “drought removal likely.” That's encouraging but we will need at least normal snow fall through most of the winter keep this numbers up.

Sadly, that same Climate Prediction Center is saying that for the period of January through March we are in “leaning below” in terms of “precipitation” here in southwest Utah, while the central and northern parts of the state are in for normal precipitation.

And our part of the state is also predicted to be “leaning above” as far as temperatures go.

When I first got in to broadcasting we were, at the time, required to be licensed to operate radio transmitters. While taking the course to get that license, out instructor taught us all he could to prepare us but then said on some questions you'll just have to “SWAG” it. We asked for an explanation and he told us to take a “scientific wild ***ed guess.” I've been looking at these predictions for years now, and I have to tell you, sometimes I think there's a lot of the SWAG process being used. But winter 2022-2023 is off to a good start. Now, if we see snow on Bluff street, then we may need to worry.