July rainfall 'disappointing' as basins record below-average precipitation

This summer's lack of rainfall and exceedingly high temperatures have been noticed by more than Utah residents looking for relief.

In its report Thursday, the Utah Division of Water Resources said precipitation this summer has been "underwhelming for most of the state," with soil moisture below normal statewide.

Aside from this week's monsoons, the lack of rainfall over the past few months, along with the summer heat, has been a "major issue" for Utah, the agency reported.

All water basins recorded below-average precipitation in July, excluding Raft in northwestern Utah.

Utah's statewide soil moisture reading stood at 39 percent at the end of July, a mark in the bottom 10th percentile of all observations since the sites were installed.

Currently, the state's reservoirs are 82% full, which is approximately 18% higher than normal and three percent higher than the same point in 2023.

Some precipitation relief came this week in the form of monsoons that dumped over an inch of rain in some areas, but the agency says much more is needed to bring soil moisture levels to near-normal.

“The state has been drying out this summer. Monsoons have been present in some form, but have been few and far between,” said Candice Hasenyager, director of the Division of Water Resources. “We need more of these monsoons to saturate our soils for an efficient spring runoff next year.”

The latest Utah Drought Monitor report shows that just over 7 percent of the state is under "Moderate Drought" conditions, mostly in Tooele County and southwestern parts of the state. In mid-July, no part of Utah was under any drought condition.

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