05/20/2026
❄️What Record Low Snowpack Means for the 2026 Irrigation Season❄️
Utah and Idaho entered the 2026 irrigation season with well below-normal snowpack. Utah saw its worst snowpack on record at just 21% of normal, while Idaho was at 58%. Cooler, wetter weather in April slowed snowmelt but did little to recover from the dry winter.
In the Upper Bear Basin, conditions were slightly better but still very dry. Warm temperatures in late March and early April quickly reduced the snowpack, leaving the Bear River Basin at about 35% of normal by May 1. Water forecasts across the region remain well below average, with many rivers and streams expected to run at only 25–53% of normal flows.
Bear Lake storage is helping offset some shortages, but overall, the basin is expected to see early runoff, reduced late-season water supplies, and continued reliance on stored water.
☀️Seasonal Temperature & Precipitation Forecasts🌧️
Temperatures from May through July are expected to be warmer than normal, with less precipitation than usual. NOAA is also forecasting the development of an El Niño pattern this year, with a high chance that it will continue through winter 2026–27. There is even a possibility of a strong “Super El Niño.”
For northern Utah, this could mean a hotter-than-average summer and early fall. During winter, weather conditions may become more unpredictable, with warmer storms bringing more rain to valleys, heavier wet snow in the mountains, and changing storm patterns that could help reduce stagnant winter inversions.
🌊Current Bear Lake Levels🌊
The Bear Lake water level is shown in the last graph. The water level is currently 5916.40 ft and is likely to have peaked for the summer. The outflow pumps at the dam have been on for a couple of weeks now to supply irrigation water downstream.
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