Utah's drought conditions made a rare, dramatic leap last week — and state water officials are urging communities to act now. Here's what the numbers mean for residents along the Wasatch Front.

Russia stockpiled 710,000 cubic meters of snow to fake a Winter Olympics. China spent $60 million on snow machines to cover bone-dry mountains for 2022. Utah doesn't have that problem — yet. But with the Great Salt Lake shrinking and 2034 approaching, the state is betting on a high-tech weather modification program, smarter water use, and sheer determination to make sure the world's greatest snow on Earth stays that way.