textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES, Issued 1023 PM MDT Sun Jul 12 2026

- After a historically hot day, temperatures will become less hot tomorrow, averaging 5-10F above seasonal normals.

- Temperatures will gradually become less hot through the week as monsoonal moisture moves into the area. This will increase the threat of precipitation and thus flash flooding, particularly over southern Utah, throughout the week.

DISCUSSION, Issued 1023 PM MDT Sun Jul 12 2026

A strong ridge is centered over the Dakotas this evening, putting Utah and southwest Wyoming under a rather hot southerly flow aloft. The presence of this ridge resulted in historically hot temperatures for northern Utah and southwest Wyoming today, with Salt Lake City setting a new all-time record high at 109F. Other locations such as a Logan, Park City, and Duchesne at least got close to setting monthly and all-time records as well, but will need to wait for morning reports to come in to confirm. The 00Z sounding also showed the hottest 700mb temperature for SLC on record with a value of 21.0C.

The southerly flow has already started to draw moisture into southern Utah, with satellite derived PWs showing values up to 0.8 inch. This moisture allowed for the developed of strong to severe showers and thunderstorms over southwest Utah, one of which brought severe gusts to Cedar City airport and another one which knocked a large tree branch onto a road in Zion National Park. The monsoonal moisture will continue to increase and spread northward through Tuesday, with guidance indicating widespread PW values in the 0.8 to 1.2 inch range across all but northeastern portions of the area by Tuesday afternoon. This moisture combined with daytime heating and some embedded shortwave energy will bring increasing coverage of showers and thunderstorms, primarily over the higher terrain. Best coverage will be over southern Utah, particularly tomorrow, though there will be at least some possibility of showers across the area by midweek.

For the middle to latter part of the week, guidance indicates that the flow aloft will most likely become generally light and variable due to the influence of the rebuilding broad ridge. This will limit the advection of additional moisture into the area, but will allow the existing moisture to remain in place for the remainder of the week into early next week. Thus, the threat of precipitation will continue, continuing to decrease the potential for wildfires but keeping the potential for flash flooding heightened.

AVIATION

KSLC...VFR conditions are expected throughout the TAF period. Southeasterly drainage winds will transition to northwesterly during the 18-19Z timeframe, before returning to southeast around 03Z. There is a 20% chance outflow winds gusting to 25 kts push into the terminal from the south during the 00-03Z timeframe.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms will develop across areas south of I-80 this afternoon, accompanied by gusty outflow winds and lightning. Aside from this, winds will largely follow a typically diurnal pattern at area terminals. Conditions expected to remain VFR through the period, though any stronger storm directly atop a terminal may result in brief reductions to CIGS/VIS.

FIRE WEATHER, Issued 518 AM MDT Mon Jul 13 2026

Hot and dry conditions will persist through much of the day across northern and central Utah, where an Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for lower elevations. Monsoon moisture which spread into southern Utah Sunday evening will continue to spread across southern and central Utah through the day, reaching northern Utah later this afternoon. As this moisture increases, a mixture of wet and dry thunderstorms can be expected across central and southern Utah, while thunderstorm coverage across the north remains isolated. Strong outflow winds will be possible with these storms, particularly across northern and central Utah. With the increase in moisture, RH values will trend higher today, although values will again fall below 15 percent across northern and eastern valleys. This moisture will continue to increase through midweek resulting in showers and thunderstorms capable of wetting rains across the state, along with elevated daytime RH and improved overnight recovery.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Extreme Heat Warning until 6 AM MDT Tuesday for UTZ101>108-114- 116-118>121.

Extreme Heat Warning until 6 AM MDT early this morning for UTZ115-122-128>131.

WY...Extreme Heat Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for WYZ021.