Firefighters across the west are gearing up for another potentially disastrous wildfire season.
There’s no telling what the summer will bring, but there are some clues as to which areas of the country might be worse off than others.
Experts said the winter snowpack can give a good indication of what lies ahead.
“Each wildfire season has its own personality and snowpack is one of the elements that plays into it,” said Jason Curry, deputy director of the Utah Department of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Snowpack is the amount of snow that collects in higher elevations during the winter. Spring snowpack numbers were a mixed bag.
“The west as a whole is not doing well,” said Jordan Clayton, supervisor of the Utah Snow Survey, when 2News talked to him in April.
Clayton has counterparts in other western states and it’s the luck of the draw whether they’re relieved or worried about specific areas.