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Climate data: How does Utah’s current drought compare with the 20-year average?

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Climate data: How does Utah’s current drought compare with the 20-year average?


A boater enjoys the water at Jordanelle State Park on July 16, 2021. The water ranges are low resulting from drought. A latest research breaks down drought knowledge from the previous 20 years. (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information)

Estimated learn time: 5-6 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — It is already nicely established that the West is experiencing its worst drought in 1,200 years. That determine is predicated on total soil moisture content material through the previous 20 years, matched to tree ring proof from about 800 A.D.

However what has that seemed like by way of weekly drought situations?

The Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Info revealed a brand new interactive map Wednesday showcasing dry situations throughout the U.S. over the previous 20 years, based mostly on a research revealed final month within the Worldwide Journal of Climatology. The research analyzed historic knowledge collected by the U.S. Drought Monitor, which was solely created in 1999.

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“Utilizing the (drought monitor) to characterize previous drought … paints a extra full image of its nature and impacts,” Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Info officers wrote Wednesday.

Utah’s fewer however longer droughts

The information introduced on the map is from 2000 to 2019, so which means the present drought Utah is dealing with, which started about this time two years in the past, is not represented within the knowledge. That mentioned, the data exhibits what one could suspect simply from expertise throughout the ongoing megadrought.

Utah hasn’t had as many drought occasions as states within the Southwest and even components of the East; nonetheless, the common size of a drought occasion is considerably longer within the Beehive State and throughout the West.

Take the Salt Lake Metropolis space, for instance. It has had 10 drought occasions over the previous 20 years, which is 16 fewer drought occasions than the San Antonio space in Texas. Nonetheless, the common size of Salt Lake Metropolis’s droughts is 53.6 weeks, or a little bit greater than a 12 months, whereas the San Antonio droughts common 19.35 weeks, which is lower than a half-year in size, on common.

Salt Lake Metropolis is not even the worst spot for droughts in Utah. The common lengths of droughts improve elsewhere within the state, exceeding 80 weeks in components of north-central Utah. That is a median of over a 12 months and a half. In reality, all of Utah’s grids on the map had fewer than a dozen drought occasions previously 20 years, however every one averages between 40 and 85 weeks in period.

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This map shows total number of drought events in the U.S. between 2000 and 2019. The West had fewer drought events than other parts of the nation, but the length of every event was longer.
This map exhibits whole variety of drought occasions within the U.S. between 2000 and 2019. The West had fewer drought occasions than different components of the nation, however the size of each occasion was longer. (Photograph: Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Infromation)

That places the present drought above common, even megadrought, phrases. The continued drought occasion started after an abysmal spring, precipitation-wise, in 2020. That climate sample carried into summer time and fall, leading to Utah’s driest 12 months on file. Though it grew to become much less extreme at instances within the fall and winter final 12 months, the drought is now choosing again up in depth and is extreme sufficient that Gov. Spencer Cox final month ordered an emergency drought declaration for the second-straight 12 months.

Western Nevada, nonetheless, takes the cake within the drought size class. The western portion of the Nice Basin east of the Sierra Nevada vary has the longest droughts within the nation. For instance, the Fallon, Nevada, space has had solely 4 drought occasions, however these common 184.5 weeks in size, which breaks all the way down to about 3.5 years per occasion.

What about drought severity?

Given the West’s 20-year plight and the size of each drought occasion, it could additionally not shock anybody that the West dubiously leads the nation in weeks spent in excessive drought, or worse, standing. Each drought the area faces usually leads to excessive or distinctive standing, which is why most of Utah — and the West — has spent at the very least a 12 months’s time within the worst drought classes over the previous 20 years.

There are chunks of Utah which have spent over 96 weeks in a drought, as nicely.

This map shows total length of extreme or worse droughts in the U.S. between 2000 and 2019. The West has dealt with more severe droughts than the rest of the country.
This map exhibits whole size of utmost or worse droughts within the U.S. between 2000 and 2019. The West has handled extra extreme droughts than the remainder of the nation. (Photograph: Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Infromation)

“Parts of the U.S. which have spent as much as two years in (excessive) or higher drought prolong from components of California over the Rockies and into New Mexico, Texas, and the Oklahoma panhandle,” the authors of the Worldwide Journal of Climatology research wrote. “This diminishes to lower than a 12 months for a lot of the japanese U.S., with an exception of Georgia and parts of Alabama and the Carolinas.”

Once more, that is earlier than the present drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor lists over half of the state in excessive drought standing, after practically 60% of the state reached distinctive drought standing by mid-Could final 12 months — exhibiting that the present drought is above-average, even within the age of the megadrought.

When droughts begin and finish

What complicates Utah’s droughts is they are not as simple to foretell as in different components of the nation.

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Whereas most U.S. droughts begin in the summertime, Utah’s droughts have a tendency to begin within the winter, spring and summer time, relying on the place you are at within the state. Northern Utah is a mixture of spring and summer time, whereas droughts in southern and japanese Utah largely start within the winter and spring.

They have an inclination to finish both within the winter or spring as an alternative of the autumn, as is within the case for areas east of the Rockies. It means the present drought in Utah may finish at any season but it surely’ll most probably linger into at the very least this winter.

Nonetheless, that continues to be to be seen. After all, it would not be the tip of the megadrought, both.

That is actually the case for each a part of the nation, although, as what’s identified about droughts is altering on account of local weather change, Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Info officers add. Some areas are receiving “extra extreme, frequent or widespread, or a mixture of those (droughts),” such because the West through the 20-year megadrought.

Federal local weather consultants contend the historic info of the previous 20 years remains to be beneficial in exhibiting what to anticipate as this occurs.

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“Although drought will not be preventable, characterizing and understanding previous drought permits federal, state and native entities to raised put together, reply and reduce drought impacts when it does develop. Sustainable water administration planning is an instance,” they wrote. “This research additionally gives a foundation and framework for continued research of drought within the 50 states and Puerto Rico, its evolution and techniques for resilience.”

Associated tales

Most up-to-date Utah drought tales

Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers normal information, outside, historical past and sports activities for KSL.com. He beforehand labored for the Deseret Information. He’s a Utah transplant by the way in which of Rochester, New York.

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Utah shows appreciation for educators at annual ‘Show Up for Teachers’ conference

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Utah shows appreciation for educators at annual ‘Show Up for Teachers’ conference


SANDY — Thousands of Utah teachers are feeling the love right now. They’re attending the annual “Show Up for Teachers” conference meant to show them all a little appreciation, led by Utah First Lady Abby Cox.

Over 2,000 Utah teachers and counselors showed up Thursday at the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy, because Utah is showing up for them.

“It’s so empowering to be here, and all the stuff they spoil us with, it’s just so refreshing,” said second-grade teacher Halea Anderson.

“There’s a lot that goes into teaching. This is definitely a career I picked as a passion, not for pay, right? So it’s great to feel appreciated,” said Breanna Howlett a kindergarten teacher at Quail Hollow Elementary.

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Each picked up free swag, school portraits, food and resources to better support them in the classroom — and provide that mental boost they need to start the school year.

“We do a lot of breakout sessions that really focus on them — their well-being, their stress management, their mental health, things like that — to really support them, to help them thrive in their profession,” said Jenni Currit, “Show Up for Teachers” organizer.

“I even told my fiancé this morning that I need that little pep talk before we start the school year, so for me it’s just kind of getting rejuvenated,” said special education teacher Seyyed Sharifi.

The fourth annual “Show Up for Teachers” conference was created by Utah First Lady Abby Cox, who sees the ripple effect this day can have statewide.

“Teachers are the bedrock of our society, they’re the ones teaching and mentoring students, and these kiddos coming up are the next leaders, the next innovators, the next problem solvers,” Cox said.

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The day was packed with positive energy and opportunity.

“Connecting with different companies, we’re connecting with different educators,” said Brad Moulton, a counselor at Alpine School District.

“A lot of them are doing grants and scholarships, which is amazing because we don’t get a lot every year,” said Salem Elementary kindergarten teacher Bri Wright.

Teachers are walking away with a superhero feeling.

“Sometimes we’re the hero, and sometimes we’re the villain. So it’s nice to be a hero for the day,” said Kaylene Astin, eighth grade science teacher.

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The conference is a full day affair, concluding with Utah’s first lady giving the final keynote address.



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Voices: We’ve seen the impact of Utah’s groundbreaking genetic research. Federal funding cuts will be devastating for years to come.

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Voices: We’ve seen the impact of Utah’s groundbreaking genetic research. Federal funding cuts will be devastating for years to come.


These cuts will cause immense and largely irreversible damage to the successful American scientific enterprise.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) A mass spectrometer at the University of Utah processes coral materials on Thursday, June 9, 2022, to be analyzed in the first step towards determining its usefulness in treating cancer. A team of researchers have found a potential anticancer compound found in coral.

As biomedical researchers, now retired, we are horrified by the deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposed in the Trump administration’s budget for 2026. These cuts would cause immense and largely irreversible damage to the successful American scientific enterprise.

A 40% decrease for NIH and a 57% cut for NSF would lead to the cancellation of thousands of grants and the termination of thousands of research programs in areas ranging from basic cancer research to drug development to climate change remediation. It would also end the training of the next generations of investigators.

This is particularly sad for Utah, which has had a leading role in genetic research. The first NIH external research grant ever given came to the University of Utah in 1946 for investigation of muscular dystrophy and other genetic diseases. Funding for this grant was specifically promoted by Utah Senator Elbert Thomas.

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Our state has been eminent in genetics research partly due to early efforts like this one and partly to the willing cooperation of large Utah families and the genealogical records generously made available to medical research by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the mid-1980’s, the Department of Human Genetics was established at the U. with Drs. Ray White and Ray Gesteland as co-chairs. White was the first in the world to apply a new technique of genetic mapping that sparked an era of rapid disease gene discovery. Among a long list of successes here in Utah were genes associated with colon cancer, retinoblastoma, neurofibromatosis, hypertension and cardiac disorders, just to name a few.

Expertise in disease gene identification attracted a steady stream of young clinicians to Utah, many of whom went on to eminent careers; for example, Richard Lifton is now President of Rockefeller University, and Mark Keating who was a Director at Novartis and Chief Scientific Officer at Yarrow Biotechnology.

With the advent of new modalities of disease gene identification, such as whole genome sequencing (WGS), Utah remained in the forefront of using genetics for personalized medicine. Lynn Jorde, of the Department of Human Genetics and his former student and colleague Michael Bamshad, now at the University of Washington — were the first to use WGS to identify disease genes in families. Their efforts were expanded by Joshua Bonkovsky and colleagues in a pilot program between the U. and Primary Children’s Hospital to use WGS on infants brought to the neonatal Intensive care unit, so that earlier diagnosis could lead to earlier treatment.

Beyond gene discovery, Utah has been a leader in other areas of basic science that have had significant impacts. Nobel Prize winner, Mario Capecchi, developed a method to make specific, targeted changes in the DNA of mice. His discoveries led to the generation of many thousands of novel strains of mice, some of them carrying mouse versions of human disease genes. Studies of these mice in labs around the world have led to insights into the resulting physiological deficits and to the development of treatment protocols for people.

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Current genetic treatments offered at the U. include molecular therapies for spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Researchers at the Moran Eye Center have been at the forefront in studying age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in adults. After identifying genes responsible for AMD, doctors at Moran initiated a clinical study using gene therapy to treat and hopefully cure this disease.

We have cited a tiny percentage of the amazing achievements that have emerged from research in Utah, almost all of which were supported by long-term funding from NIH. While there are undoubtedly places in the NIH budget where sensible savings might be achieved, no justification has been given for the severe cuts that are now proposed.

Loss of the federal funding base for work such as we describe would devastate the people and institutions that generate these advancements in Utah and across the country for years, if not decades. Our hope is that by contacting our congressional legislators, we might effect changes that would prevent the devastating consequences of the proposed legislation.

(Jerry Kaplan) Jerry Kaplan, Ph.D., joined the University of Utah faculty in 1980 and retired as an Emeritus Professor in 2017.

Jerry Kaplan, Ph.D., joined the University of Utah faculty in 1980 and retired as an Emeritus Professor in 2017. He was a member of the Department of Pathology and an assistant dean for basic science at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Inspired by the climate of genetics in Utah he used research in the one-celled yeast organism to discover the basis for the human neurological/cardiac disorder called Friedreich’s Ataxia.

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(Dana Carroll) Dana Carroll, Ph.D., joined the University of Utah faculty in 1975 and retired in 2023 as former Chair and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry.

Dana Carroll, Ph.D., joined the University of Utah faculty in 1975 and retired in 2023 as former chair and distinguished professor emeritus of biochemistry. He is considered a pioneer in the field of genome editing – a method of making targeted changes in DNA that is now dominated by the CRISPR technology, which has been extremely effective as a research tool and is currently being deployed in novel therapies for genetic diseases.

The views expressed in this op-ed belong to the authors and don’t necessarily reflect those of their former employers.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.



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JJ Peterka is excited to play in Utah

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JJ Peterka is excited to play in Utah


JJ Peterka was on a golf trip in Spain with Utah Mammoth prospect Julian Lutz when he found out he’d been traded to Utah.

“We were pretty happy,” Peterka, who hails from Germany, told reporters of the exchange on Friday morning via a Zoom call.

Lutz and Maksymilian Szuber, another German prospect in Utah’s system, are the only Mammoth players Peterka is familiar with. The 23-year-old has spent his entire NHL career in Buffalo, and he’s only played one game at the Delta Center — but the new challenge excites him.

“Playing there once, just the atmosphere was great,” he said. “The fans felt, like, so tight and close to the ice. It’s going to be really exciting.”

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“I think he was excited to know that he was going to our team,” said general manager Bill Armstrong the day after the trade. “I think he had done some studying on our club and he was excited about coming here.”

Back-to-back seasons in the 30-goal range with an 18-point increase year over year earned Peterka a five-year contract worth $7.7 million annually immediately upon being traded. He’s drawn significant criticism for his lack of defensive presence, but a deal like that indicates that the organization has faith that it can shape him into a two-way player.

How will Peterka fit in with the Utah Mammoth?

Peterka is best described as a dynamic threat with speed and an elite shot. He’s a new-school NHLer through and through. But he doesn’t feel that he’s hit his peak yet.

“I think there’s still a lot left, and that’s why I have to work hard every day,” he said.

Armstrong agreed.

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“If you look at his points last year, he’s roughly around what (Logan) Cooley was last year, so he’s got an opportunity to come in and have an impact on our top two lines,” he said. “I think it’s something that he can grow into. It’s something that he’ll take baby steps in getting here and learning to play our system.”

Off the ice, Peterka described himself as a “super happy person” and a “funny guy” — which is exactly what the team lost when it sent Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan the other way in the trade.

He grew up in Munich — just north of the Alps, the biggest mountain range in Europe. Moving to Utah excites him because it will “feel like home.”

Another thing about Utah that appeals to Peterka is the commitment the organization has shown to building a top-tier team, both on and off the ice. On the ice, he was impressed by the atmosphere at the Delta Center when he played there in March. Off it, he’s excited for the new practice facility in Sandy, which is set to open Sept. 1.

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He also mentioned the fit in terms of roster construction. Of the 15 U24 players who scored 60 points or more last season, three of them now play for Utah. And with five first-round picks looking to crack the roster in the next few years, they’re only poised to get better.

Where in the rebuild are the Utah Mammoth now?

Utah missed the playoffs by seven points last season. That’s equivalent to three and a half wins. With the amount of one-goal and overtime losses it suffered, the team was realistically one good scorer away from the postseason.

If Peterka can be that guy, while Cooley and Dylan Guenther take additional steps forward, there’s no reason the team shouldn’t make it next year.

That said, Armstrong is not letting himself get sucked into the belief that Utah is only a piece or two away from the Stanley Cup. That’s why he didn’t pursue any of the big names in free agency, despite the constant reports from national outlets to the contrary.

“A lot of times, you see teams on the front of The Hockey News: They win the summer, but they don’t win in the winter,” he said. “We don’t want to be that team. We want to be built properly for the long run.”

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Gathering a core of similar-aged, elite, young players is the name of the game. Peterka fits that perfectly. When those guys (along with a few prospects who project to be NHL-ready in the next few years) achieve their full potential, that’s when Armstrong will take big swings in free agency.

Buffalo Sabres right wing JJ Peterka (77) skates during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y. | AP



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