textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES, Issued 950 PM MDT Wed Jun 17 2026

- Hot and dry conditions will continue into Friday before a weak and mostly dry trough brings temperatures within 5F of seasonal normals for the weekend.

- Another round of gusty winds up to 30-40 mph combined with very dry relative humidity values will bring the threat of critical fire weather conditions to western Utah on Friday, potentially into Saturday.

- High pressure will rebuild for early next week, keeping conditions dry with a steady warming trend in temperatures.

DISCUSSION, Issued 950 PM MDT Wed Jun 17 2026

High pressure remains centered off the Pacific coast this evening, with a trough moving over the top of the ridge into the central United States. The presence of that trough kept northwesterly winds breezy over much of the area today, but as it exits and the trough starts moving eastward, winds will relax for Thursday. Temperatures will remain on the hot side, however, with maxes running 5-10F above seasonal normals, with the greatest departure from normal over southern Utah.

For Friday, there is high confidence that the ridge axis will move overhead during the morning and east of the area during the afternoon as a poorly organized trough moves onshore along the Pacific coast. Over northern portions of the area, the influence of the ridge and increasing southwest flow will result in notably warmer temperatures, with maxes running 10F or more above seasonal normals Friday afternoon. In southern Utah, however, temperatures will trend the other way as the influence of the trough advects in some moisture and a less warm airmass. By the afternoon, winds could get breezy enough over western Utah to result in critical fire weather conditions. See the fire weather section of the AFD for more details.

Confidence is high that the center of the weakly defined trough will graze northern Utah Friday night into Saturday, with the primary impact being on temperatures. Highs for the weekend should be within 5F of normal across the area. There is a small chance of showers near the Utah/Idaho border as the trough passes through, but overall guidance is trending a bit farther north with the track of the trough, which would make the low potential of precipitation even lower. As the trough lingers, highs Sunday should be similar to Saturday.

For early next week, guidance is in strong agreement that the Pacific ridge will return and strengthen over the Great Basin. This will bring continued dry weather and steadily warming temperatures.

AVIATION

KSLC...VFR conditions prevail at the terminal through the period under a persistent high level cloud deck. Increasing mid-level cloud cover is expected Friday, with a 10-15% chance for mainly virga showers to impact the terminal with gusty outflow winds to 30-35 kts mainly between 02-04z Saturday. Winds remain generally light out of the northwest today before transitioning southeast after 04z. Enhanced southerly flow develops around 18z before switching northwesterly again after 21-22z.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...VFR conditions persist for all regional terminals. A persistent high-level cloud deck will remain across the airspace through Friday morning, with more mid-level clouds developing Friday afternoon across central and northern Utah. There are slight chances (10-20% chance) for high-based showers and thunderstorms to impact some central and northern Utah terminals between 22-06z, with main impacts being gusty and erratic outflow winds to 30-35 mph.

FIRE WEATHER, Issued 1242 PM MDT Thu Jun 18 2026

An area of high pressure remains in place today, bringing continued hot and dry conditions to Utah. A relative lull in critical fire weather conditions is expected today, though areas of elevated to isolated critical conditions are expected in portions of eastern Utah where breezy afternoon winds continue. Critical fire weather conditions are expected to pick up once again across west-central and southwest Utah on Friday afternoon as high pressure begins to weaken as a weak area of low pressure moves into the region, allowing for southwest winds to increase across the region. These critical fire weather conditions are expected to shift eastward on Saturday, and will become much more widespread than Friday. A slight increase in moisture across the northern area on Saturday will also bring a threat of high-based showers and dry thunderstorms. These storms are expected to bring an isolated threat of lightning and strong outflow winds.

The area of low pressure will weaken through Sunday which will allow for high pressure to reestablish through next week. As a result, high temperatures will climb significantly across the entirety of Utah from Monday through Wednesday. Breezy afternoon conditions are generally expected each day alongside this building heat, which will bring elevated to near-critical fire weather conditions in southern Utah at the very least.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Heat Advisory from noon Friday to 6 AM MDT Saturday for UTZ104- 105.

Red Flag Warning from 3 PM Friday to 3 AM MDT Saturday for UTZ492-495.

Fire Weather Watch from Saturday afternoon through Saturday evening for UTZ482-484-488-489-493-494-496-498.

Red Flag Warning from 3 PM Friday to midnight MDT Friday night for UTZ497.

WY...None.