NORTH SALT LAKE — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox couldn’t help but notice how green southern Utah has gotten on his last several trips to the region, which he finds both awe-inspiring and potentially dangerous.
“The St. George area looks like northern Utah. I’ve never seen it so green,” he said, as he stood on the luscious green foothills by Tunnel Springs Park in Utah’s northern half Monday morning. (It’s) great until it’s not, right? Because that just means there’s so much more to burn.”
Meteorologists with the Great Basin Coordination Center agree, asserting that Utah’s “epic” snow season could give way to a “mixed bag” regarding the state’s summer fire danger. The agency’s Great Basin Predictive Services issued an updated wildfire danger outlook on Thursday. It calls for below-normal fire conditions this month before moving into more normal conditions through September.
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That said, it all depends on when vegetation begins to dry out, particularly in nonmountainous parts of the state, says Basil Newmerzhycky, a fire meteorologist for the federal agency. He explains that “very busy” fire seasons are possible after wet winters, which is the primary concern by the end of this summer if the summer monsoons don’t deliver relief.
“We’re calling for normal conditions through Utah but … toward the latter half of July, we do have significant concerns,” he said. “Our prognosis, if I had to sum it up in one or two sentences, is a cooler and less-active start to the fire season in June through early July, and then a rapid transition in the lower elevations to increased fire activity for the latter half (of the summer).”
How this winter influenced Utah’s fire forecast
Utah’s wildfire season is off to a very slow start mainly because of how much moisture the state has received this water year. The Utah Wildfire Dashboard, operated by state and federal land managers, notes that there have only been 99 wildfire starts this year, less than half of where things were at the same point two years ago.
The state collected 11.7 inches of precipitation between October 2022 and April, its fifth-highest total during the seven-month stretch since statewide data collection began in 1895, according to National Centers for Environmental Information data. The agency is expected to add May data later this week.
Nevertheless, it’s a much different situation than the past three years, where the state averaged almost 6.5 inches of precipitation during the same period of time. The 30-year normal between October and April is 8.37 inches, which just goes to show how much precipitation Utah has received over the past few months.
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The fire risks in Utah’s higher elevation areas are currently “better at this point than they have in many, many years” as a result, Newmerzhycky said. Some of these areas are still melting off the state’s record 30-inch snowpack, too.
Charts depict wildfire risk during a press conference in North Salt Lake on Monday. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
But all the precipitation also led to lots of new vegetation growth in lower elevation areas. Gina McGuire Palma, a fire meteorologist with the Great Basin Coordination Center, explained in a video the agency posted last week that high soil moistures in parts of Utah, Idaho and Nevada are causing more cheatgrass to grow, which is an invasive species in the region.
“We are seeing second crops of cheatgrass already popping up over the northern half of the Great Basin with this recent moisture over the last few weeks. As those soil moistures remain high, that will continue with the growing season,” she said.
Newmerzhycky adds there are also more weeds and brush, too. And while it’s green now, he said those and other vegetation can quickly dry out. In fact, he said some of it is already “starting to cure out” in parts of the state after a “relatively dry” May.
Our big concern is when will (the vegetation) really start yellowing out, curing out?
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– Basil Newmerzhycky, fire meteorologist at Great Basin Predictive Services
Meanwhile, experts say an El Niño pattern is emerging after three-straight La Niña winters. This switch in oceanic patterns has the potential to delay or suppress the normal monsoonal patterns that typically develop in mid-July and linger into August and September, based on past trends, Newmerzhycky said.
Yet the forecast currently calls for normal fire conditions during the second half of summer because the agency can’t confirm what will happen just yet. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s long-range outlook currently lists most of Utah as in “equal chances” through August, meaning there’s no clear signal as to whether it will be a dry or wet summer overall.
“Our big concern is when will (the vegetation) really start yellowing out, curing out?” he said. “What is likely to happen is that we will probably not see the moisture effects of the monsoon, at least not like it has been the last several years.”
The agency issues updated outlooks at the beginning of every month. Southern Utah would likely be at the highest risk if the normal monsoonal pattern doesn’t emerge, officials said.
McGuire Palma points out that Utah, Nevada and parts of Idaho typically do have their largest fire seasons between drought periods because of the new growth and dry-out, at least based on the past decade of drought cycles. However, with the uncertainty in fire risk this year, she said this year could also be a “transition year” before fire risks increase next year.
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The forecast seems to be less of a question mark for the Pacific Northwest, which may have ramifications for Utah. The National Geographic Area Coordination Center lists eastern Washington and Central Oregon as already having above-normal fire danger this month.
The forecast calls for that to extend through most of the Pacific Northwest and into parts of Nevada by August before subsiding some in September. Even then, a large chunk of the region is expected to remain in above-normal fire danger. Newmerzhycky said this could lead to more events where unhealthy wildfire smoke wafts into Utah, much like what happened with Canadian wildfires for a weekend in May.
“The bad part is that a lot of times the steering flow is that northwesterly flow,” he said. “We could be in a situation where we get a lot of smoke coming from those fires as we go through the summer months.”
Preparing for the fire risks
Cox says he does worry that this year’s precipitation could lead to “complacency” when it comes to fire safety this summer. It’s why the state plans to continue with its “Fire Sense” campaign that launched in 2021, during the middle of the state’s most recent drought. It aims to continue to educate Utahns about the risks outdoors.
“When you see this green all around, you think, ‘Oh, I don’t have to worry about it this year’ but oftentimes these grasses will dry out,” the governor said, motioning to the green foothills behind him. “Before they even turn yellow they are dry enough to burn.”
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Gov. Spencer Cox speaks to reporters at a press conference in North Salt Lake warning residents about wildfire risks on Monday. (Photo: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News)
Tips to avoid starting fires include:
Review fire conditions in an area before doing anything that can start a fire.
Check with fire authorities and weather forecasts before burning any debris and have resources on-hand to stop any out-of-control fires.
Extinguish campfires completely before leaving a site, pouring water and stirring ashes until it’s no longer warm.
Don’t drive on dry grass and make sure your vehicle isn’t dragging chains.
Don’t target shoot near dry grass or vegetation. Avoid shooting rocks or metal containers, and use soft targets instead. Exploding targets and tracer ammunition are not allowed on public lands.
Only launch fireworks when and where they are legal. The legal launching period is July 2-5 and July 22-25, and they are also not allowed on public lands.
Cox also said Monday that he believes there is enough state funding set aside for wildfire suppression costs this summer without making adjustments to the budget as the state Legislature did for flooding and landslide issues last month.
“Nobody knows exactly what it’ll be like in July and August,” he said, “but right now we feel very good about where we are.”
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Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.
Utah Hockey Club (16-15-6, in the Central Division) vs. Calgary Flames (18-12-7, in the Pacific Division)
Calgary, Alberta; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST
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BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Hockey Club look to break their five-game losing streak with a victory against the Calgary Flames.
Calgary has a 13-4-3 record at home and an 18-12-7 record overall. The Flames have gone 16-3-3 when scoring three or more goals.
Utah has a 16-15-6 record overall and an 11-8-2 record on the road. The Utah Hockey Club have a 6-9-5 record in games their opponents commit fewer penalties.
The teams play Thursday for the second time this season. The Utah Hockey Club won 5-1 in the previous meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jonathan Huberdeau has 16 goals and 13 assists for the Flames. Nazem Kadri has six goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
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Clayton Keller has 13 goals and 24 assists for the Utah Hockey Club. Dylan Guenther has scored six goals with four assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Flames: 5-3-2, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.4 assists, four penalties and 11.3 penalty minutes while giving up 3.2 goals per game.
Utah Hockey Club: 4-4-2, averaging 2.7 goals, 5.1 assists, 3.7 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Flames: None listed.
Utah Hockey Club: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Today I’ll be chronicling the best performances of the 2024 calendar year from our Golden State Warriors. Although the Dubs didn’t make the playoffs during the 2023-2024 season and have been pretty mid to finish the year, there have been plenty of fantastic individual performances to enjoy and give Dub Nation hope for the future.
One such performance came from Buddy HIeld in a win against the Utah Jazz. Check out the vid!
Goldblooded eyes on Splash Buddy
Buddy Hield is the kind of player who makes offenses hum, and his tantalizing skills are built on a foundation of one elite trait: shooting. And not just your run-of-the-mill, standstill shooting—Hield is a flamethrower, a guy who can bury threes in a dizzying variety of ways. Whether it’s coming off a screen, spotting up, or pulling up in transition, Hield is always a threat to light it up from anywhere on the court. His stroke is effortless, his confidence unshakable, and his range downright ridiculous. For any team in need of offensive firepower, Hield’s skill set is like plugging a cheat code into your offense.
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What makes Hield so lethal is the speed at which he operates. He’s not just a shooter—he’s a mover. He sprints off screens with precision, keeping defenders glued to his hip and bending defenses as they scramble to keep up. His ability to relocate and find open pockets of space is elite, and he doesn’t need much time or airspace to get his shot off. That constant motion creates gravity, and Hield’s presence alone can open up driving lanes for his teammates or force defenses into mistakes.
But don’t box Hield in as just a three-point specialist. He’s also got a sneaky knack for putting the ball on the floor and attacking closeouts. While his handle isn’t flashy, it’s effective enough to punish overzealous defenders who fly by him on the perimeter. And once he’s inside the arc, Hield can pull up for a smooth mid-range jumper or finish with a floater. He’s a solid secondary creator, capable of keeping the offense flowing when plays break down.
Defensively, Hield’s game doesn’t shine as brightly, but he’s no slouch. He competes, plays within the scheme, and uses his strength and quickness to hold his own against most matchups. While he may never be a lockdown defender, his offensive impact more than compensates for any shortcomings on that end.
Ultimately, Buddy Hield’s skill set is tailor-made for a modern NBA offense. He’s a sniper with elite off-ball movement, a player who thrives in space and elevates those around him. Plug him into a system with ball movement and shooting, and he becomes a weapon of mass destruction—someone who can swing games with his scoring bursts and keep defenses in constant panic mode. In Buddy Hield, you get a player who embodies the art of shooting in its purest, most tantalizing form.
The 2024 season for the University of Utah football team started out with high expectations and much promise.
Through one-and-a-half games, the Utes looked like a team capable of reaching their preseason goal of winning the Big 12 championship, but injuries to starting quarterback Cam Rising derailed the season.
Utah’s offense foundered for the majority of the season as the Utes lost seven consecutive games for the first time in the Kyle Whittingham era, finishing with a 5-7 record.
Here are 10 moments that defined Utah’s 2024 season:
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Preseason expectations set the stage: Utah wasn’t shy about its expectations for the season — to win the Big 12 Conference and make its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. With quarterback Cam Rising, who had led the Utes to back-to-back Pac-12 championships in his last two healthy seasons, returning, the addition of receiver Dorian Singer and the return of tight end Brant Kuithe, the offense appeared set. The defense also returned a lot of its contributors from the previous season.
Utah was voted No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll, setting up high expectations, which the team itself shared.
Utah interim OC Mike Bajakian stands on the sidelines, with headset, as Utah plays Southern Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, August 29, 2024. The Utes did what expected in the opener, defeating Southern Utah 49-0 to start the season. | Eli Rehmer, Utah Athletics
A 2-0 start … but trouble arises: Utah was always going to run away from Southern Utah, but the way the season started had Ute fans dreaming about what could be. In a 49-0 season-opening win, Rising played for the first time since the 2023 Rose Bowl and threw for 254 yards and five touchdowns in one half.
Next week against Baylor, it was the same story. Utah raced out to a 23-0 lead and Rising threw two first-quarter touchdown passes, but everything came to a screeching halt when Rising was pushed into a Gatorade cooler.
Rising would suffer a finger injury that would keep him out for the next three contests.
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Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising is driven out of bounds by Baylor Bears defensive lineman Treven Ma’ae (9) as Utah and Baylor play at Rice-Eccles stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Sept. 7, 2024. Rising injured his finger on the play, which sidelined him for a number of games. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Isaac Wilson helps Utah to a 4-0 start: It wasn’t the situation that Utah envisioned for Isaac Wilson in his true freshman year. Wilson won the backup quarterback job over Brandon Rose and Sam Huard, but the plan, ideally, was for the Deseret News Mr. Football winner to learn from Rising and only play in mop-up situations.
Wilson was thrust into action after Rising’s injury and helped lead the Utes to a 4-0 start, beating Utah State on the road and then traveling to Stillwater for a top-15 matchup against Oklahoma State.
Of course, both the Utes and Cowboys ended the season toward the bottom of Big 12’s worst standings, but at the time, it was a monumental matchup, and though he made some mistakes, Wilson helped guide Utah to its first Big 12 win, with 207 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception, plus 41 rushing yards.
Utah quarterback Isaac Wilson (11) runs the ball towards Oklahoma State safety Kendal Daniels (5) Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla. | Mitch Alcala
A season-ending injury for Rising as Utah’s Big 12 dreams go up in dust in the desert: After weeks of game-time decisions surrounding Rising and his ability to play, the senior quarterback returned to the field in a crucial game at Arizona State.
Utah lost 23-10 to Arizona the week before, and a second Big 12 loss would severely hurt any title prospects.
Rising’s return went anything but as expected. He completed just 16 of 37 passes for 209 yards and threw three interceptions. His finger injury looked to be bothering him, and early on in the game, he suffered a lower-body injury. Though he played through it, it clearly limited him, and turned out to be a season-ending injury.
Just like that, Rising’s season was done early and so, too, was the Utes’.
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Utah quarterback Cameron Rising looks to throw against Arizona State, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Rising suffered a lower-body injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. | Rick Scuteri, Associated Press
Andy Ludwig resigns: Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig returned to Utah in 2019 and helped the Utes to some of their most impressive offensive performances, including two Pac-12 championships and a revitalization of the passing game.
It felt like Ludwig was going to stay on at Utah until Kyle Whittingham retired, but after a 13-7 loss to TCU — Utah’s third defeat in a row and third time in as many games that the offense failed to score more than 19 points — that changed.
Ludwig resigned after six years in his second as Utah’s offensive coordinator and Mike Bajakian was named the interim offensive coordinator.
Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Andy Ludwig watches players during warmups as Utah and Baylor prepare to play at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. After three straight defeats in which the Utes’ offense struggled, Ludwig announced his decision to step down. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Season hits a low point in Houston: After losing three straight games, it felt like Utah’s game at Houston was a make-or-break moment for the program. Yes, the Utes were all but out of the Big 12 title race with three early conference losses, but could still get the season back on track with a winning streak.
Houston seemed like it could be a get-right game for the Utes.
For the most part, Utah’s defense did its job, limiting Houston to 17 points, but the Utes only mustered 14 points in a fourth-straight loss.
Wilson was benched in the third quarter, and Brandon Rose got his first real action of his career, but couldn’t lead Utah to a victory against the 2-5 Cougars.
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Houston wide receiver Joseph Manjack IV, left, breaks ae tackle-attempt by Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn, right, to score on a pass play during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Houston. | Michael Wyke
Brandon Rose starts against BYU, but Utes lose heartbreaker to Cougars: The first conference rivalry game in over a decade featured two teams on polar opposite tracks.
BYU entered the contest with a No. 9 ranking and a perfect 8-0 record, while Utah was reeling after losing four straight.
Looking to spark offensive change, Rose started, and the offense found life for the first time in weeks. Utah shocked BYU, getting out to a 21-10 halftime lead behind Rose’s 87 passing yards and two passing touchdowns, plus 45 rushing yards.
Shortly before halftime, Rose suffered a Lisfranc injury, and while he finished the rest of the game, he wasn’t the same. Utah went run-heavy with Rose’s injury and didn’t score a single point the rest of the way. BYU drew within three, but the Cougars were backed up toward their own end zone, facing fourth-and-10 at the nine-yard line with 1:35 left.
Utah appeared to have won the game by sacking quarterback Jake Retzlaff, but cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn was flagged for a holding call against a BYU receiver, resulting in an automatic first down. The Cougars drove down the field to set up a 44-yard field goal make by Will Ferrin and escape Salt Lake City with a 22-21 win.
Following the game, Rose and tight end Brant Kuithe ruled out for the season, joining an extensive list for the second consecutive season. Rising, Wilson, quarterback Sam Huard, receiver Money Parks, cornerback Kenan Johnson, running back Anthony Woods, linebacker Levani Damuni and offensive guard Michael Mokofisi were among the players that suffered season-ending injuries in 2024.
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BYU place kicker Will Ferrin (44) kicks and makes a field goal to put the Cougars ahead 22-21 with seconds left on the clock during a game between the University of Utah Utes and the Brigham Young University Cougars held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City early on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Lander Barton extends Utah’s pick-six streak: As Utah continued on its seven-game skid, one of the few areas of interest was if the team could extend its 20-season pick-six streak.
Against Iowa State, Utah did just that, extending its streak of consecutive seasons with an interception return for a touchdown to an NCAA-record 21 years.
In the second quarter of Utah’s 31-28 loss to No. 22 Iowa State, Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht’s pass was behind Jaylin Noel and went off the receiver’s hands and into the hands of Barton at the Utah 13-yard line.
Barton broke a tackle from Becht and got a few key blocks, including from Vaughn, for an 87-yard pick-six.
Utah Utes linebacker Lander Barton (8) races for the end zone for a pick-six during Utah’s game against Iowa State at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. The score extended Utah’s NCAA record for consecutive games with a pick-six. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
Defense holds up its end of the bargain for the majority of the season: Sure, there were a few things to nitpick about Utah’s defensive performance in 2024. Utah didn’t tally as many sacks as we’ve been accustomed to seeing, and had a few times where they could have sealed the game with a stop and didn’t.
But for the most part, it was another good year for Morgan Scalley’s unit. The defense didn’t get much help from the offense, but still allowed only 20.7 points per game (No. 28 in the nation) and 329.7 yards per game (No. 30) in another good defensive season.
The defense was the reason why Utah was in most every game it played in 2024, even if it didn’t translate into wins.
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Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley talks with players in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. While the offense struggled in 2024, Scalley’s defense was solid once again. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Micah Bernard surpasses 1,000 rushing yards: The individual triumph of the season was by running back Micah Bernard, who finally got his shot at the lead running back role after being with the program since 2019. A 1,000-yard season has always been a goal of Bernard’s, and he checked it off the list in his final season.
Bernard rushed for 1,009 yards in 2024, becoming the 17th Ute to do so in a season. He also had 100-plus-yard performances in four games this year.
Utah Utes running back Micah Bernard (2) runs the ball during an NCAA football game between the University of Utah Utes and the Iowa State University Cyclones held at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
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