T109 The Hydrosystem of the Great Salt Lake Basin: New Frontiers for Observing and Modeling Human-impacted Hydrologic, Climatic, and Geomorphologic Processes I
Monday, 17 October 2005
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON SNOW ACCUMULATION AND MELT IN THE GREAT SALT LAKE BASIN FROM 2000 THROUGH 2005
Paper number: T109-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 1:35 PM – 1:50 PM
Authors
Abstract
Climate plays a major role in the accumulation of snowpack and resulting melt scenarios of the Great Salt Lake Basin. Prior to the 2005 water year, Utah experienced an extended period of very warm and dry conditions, threatening the water supply of the state. At the end of the 2004 water year, a drastic climatic shift brought copious snowpack and excessive runoff to Utah. This paper will analyze the differing climate of the drought years and the dramatic shift ushering in the 2005 water year.