Water supply is looking good for Utah reservoirs

On a day devoted at Utah State University to hosting the fourth annual Spring Runoff Conference, an extra dollop — or wallop in some areas — of spring snow landed on mountains and valleys throughout the state, bringing needed water but commuter headaches Monday morning.

The water supply situation is basically the best of both worlds, said Brian McInerney, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Utah. We've got water supply that will fill all the reservoirs except Bear Lake, Lake Powell and a few others under construction.

Snowpack levels in the mountains of northern Utah are 100 percent to 120 percent of normal; in the south that percentage is between 120 and 130, McInerney said.

With all that snow up high, he said, flooding is a concern if it warms up too quickly in tandem with additional rainfall or snow. At least in the short term, such a pattern isn't forecast.

Our flood threat is minimal right now, McInerney said.