The 70 degrees registered at the Salt Lake City International Airport on Saturday tied the record for this date, which was set just one year ago. Photo: Canva
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s official, Saturday’s high temperature at the Salt Lake City International Airport tied the record for March 6 – which was hit March 6, 2020.
But, because it’s early March, the National Weather Service predicts that Salt Lake City won’t stay near 70.
The warm weather is welcomed by many in Utah, a state which typically has more winter-like conditions in the first weeks of March. The sunshine and warmer temperatures mean more time spent outdoors which, during the lingering global pandemic, is also welcomed by many in Utah.
But the warmer temperatures aren’t necessarily what’s best for the state overall.
Right now, the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reports that much of the snowpack along the Wasatch Front is between 59 and 83% of normal.
Those percentages are thanks to several recent back-to-back snowstorms in northern Utah. Much of the 2020-2021 winter season in a state that relies on winter tourism has been warmer than normal.
The Raft River area, including Howell Canyon and George Creek, is the only area measured by the NRCS at 100% of its typical snowpack total.