SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah’s “endless winter” is finally coming to an end, and what an incredible season it was. What felt like a never-ending snowstorm that has been hitting Utah since November broke countless state records, including the wettest winter in recorded history.

As of Thursday, April 6, Utah’s Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) reached a new high of 30 inches. The SWE is described as the amount of water you would get if you melted all the snow in the snowpack.

The new number broke a 40-year-old record of 26 inches, which was set in 1983. This year’s SWE even broke the all-time record of 28.8 inches, which was set back in 1952 when measurements were taken by hand and at fewer sites.

ABC4 Meteorologist Thomas Geboy said this will likely be the peak of the season, despite the fact we will likely see more snow in the mountains over the next month. Geboy said it was hard to believe how different this winter season was to last year.

“We’re a full 18 inches of SWE higher than what we peaked at last year,” said Geboy. “but on April 6 in 2022, the snowpack average was only 9.8 inches.”

The difference between 2022 and 2023 in snow levels is visually striking. At the start of March, the International Space Station provided a higher-than-birds-eye view of Utah, revealing a beautiful panoramic of the state covered in snow.

On April 6, Snowbasin Resort shared a pair of photos of Mount Ogden. The first was taken in 2022 while the second was taken in 2023. A comparison of the two photos shows an incredible difference in Utah’s snowpack. The photo from a year ago shows the rock of the mountain clearly visible and the trees barren of snow. Meanwhile, the 2023 photo shows snow covering every inch of the mountainside and snow draped on tree branches.

A comparison of Mount Ogden in 2022 versus 2023 (Courtesy of Snowbasin Resort)

Without a doubt, this snow season has been a year to remember, and it has done wonders for the Utah drought.

For the first time since June 2020, Utah has dropped below “extreme” drought levels. The most recent drought monitor report which was released on Thursday, April 6, shows zero percent of the state in “exceptional” or “extreme” drought conditions, the two highest levels. Only 8.9% of the state is considered to be in a “severe” drought, which is the next highest level.

Of course, this does not mean Utah is in the clear. For example, The Great Salt Lake is currently only at 4,191.6 feet as of April 1, which is still lower than where it was at the time in 2022 (4,192.7 feet). As the snow melts and runs off into the lake, that water level will rise, but the incoming hot summer months could undo a lot of what Mother Nature gave over the winter.

For now, Utahns can enjoy the incredible winter season while record-breaking snow is still on the slopes and breath a sigh of relief knowing that spring is on the way.