Salt Lake City, Utah – Extreme drought conditions continue to grip southern Utah, with Washington and Iron counties experiencing the most critical dryness as wildfire risk climbs sharply heading into July.
According to the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, D3-level drought persists across the region and is expected to spread over the next one to two months. Central and southern Utah are likely to shift from severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought, with little relief in sight and higher-than-normal temperatures forecast.
Reservoir levels tell the story: water storage in the Uinta Basin and Rich County is below 70%, while central Utah’s lakes are holding just 35–50% of capacity. Southern counties like Washington report levels between 30–60%, raising alarms for farmers and ranchers already battling dry soils and poor forage.
The risk of significant wildfire is now considered above normal across much of southern Utah, especially areas downwind of tinder-dry rangelands and unharvested grasses. Residents are urged to avoid open flames, restrict outdoor equipment use during peak heat, and monitor fire alerts daily.
Conditions are expected to worsen, with little precipitation in the 7-day forecast. The next drought status update is expected in early July, but warnings remain in effect until then.
