Keep the snow shovels nearby and the parkas handy because this week looks to be chock full of storms that will dress Utah mountains in a fresh coat of white, and deliver windy, rainy and unsettled conditions.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City said the first bout of storm activity arrives Monday, with a 100% chance of rain that by Tuesday transforms into mountain snow.
Every day this week into Saturday there is a chance of rain, snow and blustery conditions that include some shuttered lifts at some ski resorts due to wind and avalanche warnings.
Temperatures are mild ahead of the storm — it was 50 degrees at the Salt Lake International Airport Monday morning — but the wind is picking up and promises to usher in some pretty severe gusts.
Snow and rain is likely to continue into early next week, forecasted to deliver a new year with more storm activity.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City has issued a winter storm for northern and eastern Utah, much of central Utah and into southern Utah, which includes Bryce Canyon National Park and the St. George area.
The uptick in activity is part of a strong Pacific storm with a stream of high moisture that will continue with gusty to high winds over most of the Western United States, bringing heavy to excessive rain along the coast and mountain snow in the Sierras and Rockies Monday into Wednesday, according to the service.
What is worse, according to the weather service, critical fire weather with dry, gusty winds is forecasted Monday over southeast Colorado. Several more waves of moisture may produce additional impacts later this week.
Is Utah still in drought?
Most of Utah’s watershed basins sit in the triple digits — meaning the majority of the state is sitting at above average for the amount of precipitation that has graced the mountains since the start of the water year in October.
But water experts urge people to not be overly optimistic because all that could change with the threat of a dry pattern that could settle in and leave Utah wanting.
The conclusion is that these active storm patterns need to continue to dominate in Utah, helping to saturate soils and bolster a healthy runoff in the spring.
Still, much of Utah remains in extreme or severe drought, brought on by persistent years of below average snowpack.