Utah's rainy fall helps refill reservoirs in crisis

• That has since shot up 5% statewide — an unprecedented increase, according to a report last week by the state Division of Water Resources.

Zoom in: In Salt Lake, October rainfall was nearly double the norm for the month — and November rain had already exceeded the monthly normal as of Friday, National Weather Service meteorologist Hayden Mahan told Axios.

Zoom out: Even after early October's major storms, 91% of the state was in at least moderate drought conditions, state water officials wrote. That was down to 64% as of Thursday.

The other side: The Great Salt Lake surface was at 4,190 feet above sea level on Friday — the lowest for that date since the record lows of 2022.

What we're watching: Whether the wet autumn lowers lawmakers' urgency in responding to drought when next year's legislative session starts.