Is the shrinking Great Salt Lake impacting drought
A new study by scientists at Utah State University shows that a shrinking Great Salt Lake may exacerbate drought conditions along the entire Wasatch Front. “As the Great Salt Lake water body is shrinking, that local precipitation caused by a storm event is going to decrease,” Dr. Wei Zhang, an associate professor of climate science at USU and one of the study’s authors, told FOX 13 News on Monday. Using a series of meteorological models as a case study, USU researchers found that, in essence, the shrinking Great Salt Lake can create its own vicious cycle of drought. … The Great Salt Lake is famous for its ability to amplify storms. “Lake-effect snow” can pump out more snow in the mountains and boost Utah’s lucrative ski industry.