Salt Lake City Elevation: 4330 ft.
A Sego Lily, the State Flower of Utah
Utah State Flower: The Sego Lily. Kate C. Snow, President of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, in a letter dated April 17, 1930, says that “between 1840 and 1851″ food became very scarce in Utah due to a crop-devouring plague of crickets, and that “the families were put on rations, and during this time they learned to dig for and to eat the soft, bulbous root of the sego lily. The memory of this use, quite as much as the natural beauty of the flower, caused it to be selected in after years by the Legislature as the floral emblem of the State.”
A California Gull, the Utah State Bird
Utah State Bird: The California Seagull. This may seem strange considering Salt Lake is not near the sea. However, during the summer of 1848 when swarms of crickets attacked pioneer food supplies, it was reported that flocks of the birds arrived, settled in the “…half-ruined fields” and “gorged themselves” on the attacking crickets. It’s often stated that the California gull was made the state bird in return for saving the settler’s lives.
Salt Lake Valley Climate: The Wasatch Mountains to the east have peaks to nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. Their effect causes more precipitation in the eastern part of the valley than over the western part. The Oquirrh Mountains west have several peaks above 10,000 feet. The Traverse Mountain Range at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley rises to above 6,000 feet. These mountain ranges shelter the valley from storms from the southwest in the winter, but are instrumental in developing thunderstorms which can drift over the valley in the summer.
Besides the mountain ranges, the most influential natural condition affecting the climate of Salt Lake City is the Great Salt Lake, to the northwest of the city. This large inland body of water, which never freezes due to its high salt content, moderates the temperatures of cold winter winds blowing from the northwest and helps drive a lake/valley wind system. The warmer lake water during the winter and spring also contributes to increased precipitation in the valley downwind from the lake—the “lake effect”. The combination of the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch Mountains often enhances storm precipitation in the valley.
Salt Lake Valley normally has a semi-arid continental climate with four well-defined seasons. Summers are characterized by hot, dry weather, but the high temperatures during this season are usually not oppressive, since the relative humidity is generally low and the nights usually cool. July is the hottest month with an average maximum reading in the low 90s F. (30s C.). The highest temperature on record is 107º F. (42° C.). January is the coldest month with an average daily minimum around 20º F. (-7° C.). The lowest recorded temperature is -30º F. (-34° C.)
Winters are cold, but usually not severe. Mountains to the north and east act as a barrier to frequent invasions of cold continental air. The average snowfall is 58 inches at the airport but much higher amounts fall in higher bench locations. The average seasonal snowfall ranges between 40 and 50 inches in the lower valleys and average duration of continuous snow coverage at the Salt Lake City International Airport is 29 days. Occasionally, the snow cover is considerably more than 1 foot deep. Heavy fog can develop under temperature inversions in the winter and persist for several days.
Salt Lake City
Precipitation, generally light during the summer andearly fall, is heavy in the spring when storms from the Pacific Ocean are moving through the area more frequently than at any other season of the year. Owing to the modifying influence of the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountain ranges, the annual average precipitation varies from about 16 inches at the airport to more than 30 inches in higher elevations. Precipitation is relatively light during summer and early fall and reaches a maximum in spring. The wettest month is usually April, when most parts of the valley receive almost two inches of moisture. July is usually the driest month. About one-third of the annual precipitation falls as snow, most of which occurs between December and March.
Winds are usually light—the mean speed is 8.8 mph. Occasional high winds have occurred in every month of the year. Strong winds are associated either with easterly winds blowing out of the canyons or with local severe thunderstorms; however, the canyon winds do not usually extend more than five miles from the mouth of the canyons. The overall prevailing wind direction is from the south-southeast.
The growing season is over five months in length. Yard and garden foliage generally are making good growth by mid-April. The last freezing temperature in the spring averages late April and the first freeze of the fall is usually in mid-October.
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