Weather and Climate in Utah

Why is our weather the way it is?

Utah has four distinct seasons.Summer days are hot, but nights are cooler.

Temperatures vary a lot from the Northern to the Southern end of the state. ex.:St. George vs. Randolph.

Most of our moisture comes in the form of snow.

Weather and Climate

Several factors affect Utah’s climate and weather.

They are:1. Our latitude, or how far north of the equator we are located.2. Our altitude, or how high we are located above sea level.3. Our distance from an ocean.4. The Sierra Nevadas block rain clouds coming from the Pacific Ocean.

Utah’s Climate and Weather

Growing seasons also vary from one end of the state to the other. St. George averages 200 frost free days and can grow peaches and even cotton. Ex. Utah’s Dixie

Heber City averages only 77 days without frost.

High mountain valleys such as Cache, Bear Lake, and Wasatch and Summit counties still support agriculture despite short growing seasons.

Utah’s Climate and Weather

Most of Utah’s water comes from storm systems in the Pacific Ocean.

They are stopped by the Sierra Nevada's and drop most of their moisture.

The storms that do make it over, have little or no precipitation left in them.

Thus, we live in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada's.

Where does the rain fall?

Snow builds up in the mountains in the winter creating a watershed.

The water runs off from the mountains into the valleys and becomes part of either the Bonneville or Colorado River drainage regions.

Almost all of the water in the Bonneville region drains into the Great Salt Lake.

The Colorado River is a major river in the U.S.

Where water goes

Lake Powell

The Great Salt Lake

Zion National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Capitol Reef National Park