Cold temperatures are making flooding less likely in Utah — for now
And expect more snow showers in April.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Crews are temporarily halting water flow while they lay down material to address erosion over 1700 South in Salt Lake during ongoing efforts to clean up storm drains and safely channel the Emigration Creek runoff through the Wasatch Hollow Park on Friday, April 14th, 2023.
Cold weather bringing rain and even more snow to Utah also makes flooding far less likely for the next few days.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service canceled its flood warning for Emigration Creek. And the forecast for water flow in the creek is well below the flood stage (130 cubic feet per second) and the action stage (110 cfs) and is trending down. Expected to peak at 90 cfs on Wednesday, dropping to the 80’s, 70’s and 60’s over the next week.
That’s because cold temperatures are slowing the melting of Utah’s record snowpack. High temperatures in the low to mid-40s are expected in the Salt Lake City area Wednesday and Thursday; the upper 40s and lower 50s on Friday and Saturday; and the upper 50s to lower 60s on Sunday and Monday.
Normal highs for this time of year are 62-64.
Overnight lows are expected in the 30s falling into the 20s in some areas. Normal low temperatures for this time of year are 42-43.
There is a 40 percent chance of snow showers on Wednesday evening and a 50 percent chance of more snow on Thursday. Accumulations of 1-2 inches are possible in some places.
However, the risk of flooding in the state is not over. Just 10% of the state’s snowwater equivalent had melted as of Tuesday, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Also on Tuesday, due to ongoing flooding and the risk of flooding, Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency that will allow the state to access funds set aside for emergencies. “In short, we will be better prepared for what lies ahead this spring,” Cox said in a statement.
