If you think it has been an extremely wet month this October in Salt Lake City, you are certainly not wrong.
In fact, the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City said this has been the wettest October since records first began being compiled in 1874 — and there are still a little more than two weeks to go before month’s end.
“It is quite unusual,” said Christine Kruse, a meteorologist with the agency.
On one particular day this month, the Salt Lake City International Airport received 2.74 inches of precipitation, which is well above normal.
The October record set is 4.32 inches of precipitation that has dropped in that area, breaking the previous record of 3.91 inches.
“It is well above the previous record,” she added.
It marks the 15th wettest of any month, outpaced by September 1982, when 7.04 inches were recorded.
This month’s record precipitation at the airport is due to active weather patterns stoked by tropical moisture, she said.
The constant downfalls have led to isolated pockets of flooding in northern Utah, such as in Tooele County and elsewhere.
Earlier this month, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall declared a local emergency after flooding hit the Rose Park area, impacting more than two dozen homes.
“By declaring a state of emergency, the city can access additional resources and move faster to support the families affected,” Mendenhall said. “It allows us to direct more city resources into cleanup, work hand-in-hand with the county and state, and open the door to financial assistance that could ease the burden for residents whose homes were damaged.”
The 30-day emergency order gives the city, Salt Lake County and others greater flexibility to request and provide aid, purchase needed materials, and coordinate across agencies. It also positions Salt Lake City and affected residents to seek state or federal recovery funds if they become available.
Flash flooding is also happening at the southern end of the state, with slot canyons particularly vulnerable in the Springdale area, as well as along I-15 between St. George and Cedar City due to heavy rainfall.
An endless soaking
As a result of the precipitation, Kruse said the ground is getting saturated, which leads to good soil moisture levels that will bring about a better runoff season next year that outpaces what northern Utah has been seeing the last few years.
And the storms are not over yet, she added.
“There will be active weather pattern until at least next week,” she said, with another storm making its way to the Salt Lake City area Sunday and Monday.
The storms often roll in during or after periods of high wind, and in some cases, they pepper an area with hail. Lightning has also been part of the mix, putting on its own show as it dances across the sky.
Temperatures are also slightly cooler than normal for this time of year, cementing the end of summer and the onset of fall.
Kruse said it is too early to say if this means it will be an active winter season, but the mountains have already seen snow and reservoir levels are up.