Thumbs-up for snowpack

Utah's January snowpacks, which received a storm boost this week, are in good condition, except for the southern part of the state.

And for most of southern Utah, the water supply outlook isn't bad because last winter's huge snowfalls left most reservoirs in great shape. The exception is the state's southeastern corner, which is dry and without much reservoir supply.

"Basically, the water supply outlook right now is really good for northern Utah," said Randy Julander, snow survey supervisor for the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, based in Salt Lake City.

That's true for a region stretching from Spanish Fork Canyon north to Bear Lake on the Utah-Idaho border, he said.

Central Utah's snowpacks are close to average for this time of year, Julander added. "The Sevier River's down a bit, but still has good reservoir storage. So, at this point, they still look like they'll be OK."

The Uintah Basin and the Weber and Bear rivers are at 125 percent to 150 percent of the Jan. 19 snowpack, he said. "Reservoir capacity is about 80 percent on all of them.

"So, northern Utah is really doing quite well this year. I'm tickled to see it. And the folks on Bear Lake really have reason for optimism."

The southeastern section, which includes places like Monticello and Blanding, is the driest part of Utah.

"Dismal snowpacks," Julander said of that region, "and they really don't have a lot of reservoirs down there."

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com