textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES

- Scattered to numerous showers with isolated to scattered thunderstorms will continue through the night into Saturday morning, increasing in coverage for Saturday afternoon and evening.

- The potential for strong to severe thunderstorms over northern portions of the area will increase on Saturday afternoon with strong winds and hail being the main threats.

- The threat of flash flooding will be elevated across the area on Saturday.

- An active pattern will continue through at least the first half of next week.

DISCUSSION

High pressure centered just south of the Four Corners area earlier today will shift east into the southern Plains this weekend. Meanwhile, upstream, an upper low is currently noted over Vancouver Island and will move across the PacNW on Saturday. Utah will be under an increasing southwesterly flow aloft, while weak ripples will continue to cross the area. Latest analysis shows around 0.8 inches of PWAT across southern Utah to around 1.2 inches across northwest Utah.

The weak disturbances rippling through northern Utah tonight will maintain scattered to numerous showers and isolated to scattered thunderstorms tonight, especially across northern Utah. This activity will continue into Saturday morning before thunderstorm activity increases for the afternoon hours. An unstable airmass with SBCAPE values near to greater than 1kJ/kg and deep-layer shear of 40-50kt will bring the potential for strong to severe storms. There is currently a Slight Risk for severe weather across northern Utah for Saturday, with the main threats being strong winds and hail. With more widespread and stronger convection and potential for training storms on Saturday, the flash flood potential will also increase. There is currently a Marginal Risk of excessive rainfall across the entirety of the forecast area for Saturday.

Showers and thunderstorms will continue through Saturday night as the upper low crosses Idaho. By Sunday afternoon, this low will be ejecting east across Montana. Owing to a more stable airmass behind it, convection is expected to decrease across northwest Utah while scattered convection will continue across the south and east, with continued potential for locally strong storms and flash flooding. While PWATs will trend lower for next week, an active weather pattern will continue through at least midweek as several additional weather disturbances continue to eject across the area.

This active, wet weather pattern will lead to cooler and largely below normal temperatures Saturday through as least the middle of next week.

AVIATION

SLC...Southeasterly winds prevail overall through the morning, though periods of showers and thunderstorms overnight will result in variable winds at times, mainly between 06-08z and again 10-14z. A brief lull is expected through the early afternoon, with winds switching northwesterly after 21z. Widespread showers and thunderstorms redevelop across northern Utah after 21z and are expected to impact the terminal at times through the remainder of the evening. Storms on Saturday will be capable of producing gusty and erratic outflow winds in excess of 50 kts, hail, and heavy rainfall that may result in periods of MVFR to IFR conditions.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Periods of showers and thunderstorms are expected overnight into Saturday morning across the northern portion of the airspace. This will result gusty and variable winds at times. A brief lull in convective activity is expected late morning into the early afternoon, with widespread showers and thunderstorms developing across much of the airspace through the remainder of the evening. Storms on Saturday will be capable of producing gusty and erratic outflow winds in excess of 50 kts, hail, and heavy rainfall that may result in periods of MVFR to IFR conditions, mainly across northern Utah.

FIRE WEATHER, Issued 1250 PM MDT Fri Aug 28 2026

High pressure over the Four Corners has added moisture to an already unusually moist airmass, and anticipated coverage of showers and thunderstorms will be greater today than yesterday, with isolated strong to severe thunderstorms capable of producing wind gusts to around 60 mph. The influence of a Pacific Northwest trough and its associated cold front will bring a long period of showers to northern portions of the forecast area Friday night through Sunday, bringing increasing potential of wetting rainfall and improved relative humidity values. Strong to severe thunderstorms, however, will be more scattered in nature during the day Saturday, bringing an increasing threat of strong and gusty thunderstorm winds. For Sunday, the focus of showers and thunderstorms is expected to shift to southeast Utah, bringing the highest potential of wetting rainfall to that location. The active pattern and cooler temperatures will continue into at least early next week, with guidance indicating an increasing potential for drier conditions for the middle to latter part of the week.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...None. WY...None.