Dry soil in Utah could affect spring runoff

SALT LAKE CITY — The warm start to fall means the ground is unusually dry across most of the state. If this trend continues, it could impact our snowmelt next spring, reducing it by up to 20%.

The drier the ground becomes in winter, the more water it absorbs from the snow cover. This leaves less water entering tributaries, streams, rivers and lakes.

KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson says we need to replenish the ground with water, but that's not happening right now.

“Typically you want to do this in October and November because that's when the snow really starts as we get into December, January, February,” Johnson said.

He said it's still too early to say for sure whether the soil will have an impact on our snowpack next spring, as there are still several months left to replenish the soil with moisture.

Ideally, the soil will have a high moisture content by winter to avoid soaking up water from our snowpack.

Unusually dry ground can absorb up to 20% of snowmelt. Johnson said 81% of the soil across the state is abnormally dry and 9% is experiencing drought.

“The drier your soil, the more snowmelt you lose by moistening the soil. It soaks up like a sponge and then you don’t have as much runoff going into your water body,” Johnson said.

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