Heavy rains in August helped turn the summer around after a terrible June and July left Utah feeling hot and dry.The state’s mountains are typically well-watered due to the seasonal monsoons, but last month was better than average. Utah received almost 3 inches of new precipitation in August, which is 178% of normal, according to the Sept. 1 Utah Climate and Water report.Utah received almost 3 inches of new precipitation in August, which is 178% of normal, according to the Sept. 1 Utah Climate and Water report. Credit: From Utah Climate and Water Report“The fact that we got some monsoonal precipitation wasn’t at all surprising. The fact that it was above normal is kind of the cherry part. So, that’s positive,” said Jordan Clayton, a supervisor with the Utah Snow Survey.Statewide, the water year-to-date precipitation is about 105% of normal. That’s about a 2% increase from July, putting the state on track for a typical year. Soil moisture saturation levels across Utah are at 39%, which is 7% lower than this time last year. The report said the monsoonal moisture provided a nice reprieve to the mountain soil, but it quickly started to dry up again.“I’m guessing that if we don’t get some more moisture before the snow hits, that we’re going to wind up with below soil moisture conditions, but we’ll see what the next couple months bring in terms of moisture,” Clayton said.Reservoir storage is also doing alright. Capacity is about 77% statewide. That’s 6% lower than July but right on par with last year’s capacity.Some areas of the state including the northeastern Uintas and southwestern Utah have been able to retain a large percentage of storage capacity, but other areas such as the Beaver watershed and Tooele-Vernon Creek area have depleted resources at a faster rate.The Weber-Ogden watershed, which includes Summit County, was around 76% capacity as of Sept. 1 compared to 84% last year. An average of 2.2 inches of rain fell in the region.The Smith and Morehouse and Echo reservoirs had the greatest decrease in capacity between this summer and last. The Echo Reservoir was at 58% capacity, and the Smith and Morehouse Reservoir was at 76% compared to 72% and 96% last year, respectively.The Rockport Reservoir saw about a 10% decrease in the last year, sitting at 73% in the latest report. The Jordanelle Reservoir was at 80% during both periods.“While Utah’s reservoirs are generally in good shape, we continue to encourage water managers to conserve water where possible to prepare for the possibility of a return to drought conditions in future years,” the report stated.Clayton said the summer is actually one of the busiest periods for National Resources Conservation Service staff because they’re maintaining and expanding their weather stations.The team visits all 138 sites in Utah, as well as locations in Nevada and around Lake Tahoe, to ensure they’re working properly. New sites are also installed to the network, including one that’s already been built in Millcreek Canyon to replace annual manual measurements, as well as another site planned near Bears Ears National Monument.Clayton didn’t have a lot of confidence in the connection between the El Niño and La Niña (ENSO) cycle and Utah. He noted there have been many inconsistencies between the weather patterns and winter conditions in Utah.“Really what we need is those atmospheric rivers to develop when the jet streamlines up from the Pacific, kind of in a west-to-east direction, and it really can draw on a lot of that moisture and pour it into the Sierras and pour it into Utah. That’s when we really get our huge boosts in our snowpack,” he said.The post August rains rejuvenate Utah after hot, dry start to summer appeared first on Park Record.