Utah’s drought has intensified in recent weeks, but help could soon be on the way. A “light” monsoonal system is forecast for the middle of this week, thanks to a pair of storms near Utah that should rotate moisture in the state, said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson. A high-pressure system near the Four Corners is helping push water vapor from the Gulf of Mexico, also referred to as the Gulf of America, toward Utah, while a low-pressure system off the California coast may do the same from the Pacific Ocean. … Precipitation totals will vary across the state, depending on where a storm pops up. Monsoonal storms can often dump heavy totals in localized areas, leading to flooding potential, but they also leave some communities without much precipitation.

Other monsoon and drought news:

• NIDIS: News release: North American monsoon drought status update
• Santa Fe New Mexican: Stormy week in state expected to precede a dry Fourth of July
• The Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Is it going to rain in Phoenix? Record heat could give way to a chance of showers
• WyoFile (Lander): Wyoming warming to climate change reality and worried about water, UW poll finds