Utah saw its earliest 80+ degree days this year, surpassing the previous record from 2012, and set the record for the lowest peak seasonal snowpack since 2018.
According to the Utah Department of Natural Resources, drought conditions have been seen throughout the state since February, with 59.3% of Utah seeing extreme drought conditions.
Casey Olson, a climate data analyst with the Utah Climate Center, provided some insight into this year’s climate anomalies.
“We actually are pretty close to normal in terms of the water," Olson said. "The problem is that water came as rain rather than snow. So, our snowpack … has been record low ... literally half the amount of our record low for this time of the year.”
Olson further explained that the past six months have been the warmest on record.
“It’s been an incredibly warm winter season and spring season," Olson said. "It’s very much stressing our snowpack here, which we are very relying on in terms of our bulk water resources.”
In hopes of combating Utah’s current climate crisis, the Logan Library will be hosting Climate Future’s film festival, "Bring It to Your Community: Chapter 1," to educate the community through a series of short climate films next week.
The Climate Future film festival is a traveling mini festival that showcases an assortment of films across genres. 10 award-winning short films from across the globe explore the human side of the climate crisis and aim to inspire conversation around climate change.
The festival includes several documentaries, two animated films, and multiple comedies and dramas.
The program intends to encourage audiences to reflect on Utah’s climate and consider their role in lowering Utah’s carbon footprint.
Olson recommends limiting water usage on lawn plots and bracing for the drier season.
The event is free to the public and will be held on Wednesday, April 22 from 5:30 to 8:30 P.M. in Community Room A in the Logan Library.
