Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join the community of UPR donors who make this station possible. YOUR membership donation has the power to make a big difference! GIVE NOW

Parts of Utah could be removed from drought status in light of heavy precipitation

Climate Prediction Center

For months, Utah has been in a heavy drought, but the high amount of snowfall and rainstorms lately could prove to change that status for certain parts of the state.

The latest seasonal drought outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center reveals that a few small portions of the state could be completely removed from drought status. Due to heavy precipitation over the past few weeks, areas like St. George, Cedar City, and Moab could be removed.

However, while those areas are expected to be removed from their drought status, the large majority of the state will remain in their current conditions. Fortunately, all this precipitation is showing a vast improvement from what Utah was experiencing just months ago and shows that things are moving in the right direction.

The new drought monitor is expected to be released on Thursday with the latest monitor map having been released on December 27, showing a little over 31% of the state being in extreme drought. A year prior, 70% of the state was in extreme drought.

Jared Gereau is pursuing a Journalism major with an emphasis in Social Media at Utah State University. He is planning on using his experience to pursue a career with USU Athletics sometime after he graduates. In his free time, Jared enjoys watching movies, playing games and creating content for his YouTube channel.