textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES, Issued 111 PM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026

- An influx of smoke originating from numerous fires across the Pacific Northwest will continue through at least Thursday.

- Widespread dangerous heat develops across southern Utah on Thursday, then becomes more widespread across the remainder of Utah Friday into Saturday.

- Showers and thunderstorms capable of producing microburst winds are expected each afternoon Thursday into the weekend, mainly across southwest Utah.

- Monsoon moisture spreads northward Sunday into early next week, resulting in more widespread storms capable of producing isolated flash flooding.

DISCUSSION, Issued 1043 PM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026

While this evening's satellite imagery reveals largely clear skies across the region, surface air quality sensors around Utah and southwest Wyoming continue to show evidence of widespread smoke blanketed over the forecast area. That said, improvements to smoke are expected over the next 24 to 48 hours as a ridge axis begins to shift overhead, favoring deeper atmospheric mixing during the afternoon hours.

As this ridge begins to build into the region over the next couple of days, anticipate a stout daily warming trend (3-5 degrees each day) across the northern area, with a slower warming trend across the southern area (1-2 degrees each day) through at least Friday. By the end of the work week, high temperatures along the Wasatch Front will climb back into the triple digits, with Utah's Mojave reaching upwards of 110 to 112 degrees. Pairing with the hot daytime temperatures, overnight lows will once again climb into the low- to mid-70s across the western valley areas and around 80 degrees in the lower elevation valleys of southern Utah. While the daytime high temperatures will be around 5-10 degrees above average for this time of year, the lack of overnight relief is where the real concern will arise. A litany of heat advisories and extreme heat warnings will go into effect starting on Thursday in southern Utah, expanding into northern Utah by Friday as heat risk increases due to the prolonged exposure to hot daytime temperatures and elevated overnight lows. While Friday will mark the peak in the anticipated heat, hot temperatures are expected to linger through the weekend.

In addition to the heat, mid-level moisture is also expected to increase across a portion of southern Utah tomorrow, leading to the development of isolated high-based showers from roughly Bald Mountain westward through the UT/NV border. Given the lack of low-level moisture, any developing showers will bring potential for strong microburst wind gusts in excess of 40-45 mph. As is the case with a majority of the shower and thunderstorm activity in the Great Basin region, anticipate development of these showers after about noon, with the threat remaining in place through at least the late evening. This high-based moisture will remain in place through the weekend, bringing a daily threat for these microburst winds.

As the center of the high begins to shift farther east into early next week, lower level moisture will begin increasing which will bring the increasing risk of heavy rainfall and flash flooding across a portion of Utah, central and southern Utah in particular. Will continue to monitor this potential as we head through the weekend. At the bottom line, anticipate a return of monsoonal moisture next week.

AVIATION

KSLC...Other than a brief window of MVFR vsbys from smoke this morning (12-13z), VFR conditions are expected to prevail at KSLC through the TAF period. Diurnal wind shifts are expected to occur with a northwest shift around 19z.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Other than a brief window of MVFR vsbys from smoke this morning (12-13z) across our northern UT sites as well as KEVW, VFR conditions are expected to prevail through the TAF period. KCDC may see dry thunderstorms develop around 20-01z, as reflected by the PROB30.

FIRE WEATHER, Issued 459 AM MDT Thu Aug 6 2026

High pressure continues to strengthen resulting in widespread humidities in the single digit to low teens with poor overnight recoveries continuing through at least Saturday. Temperatures will also continue warming, potentially to dangerous levels statewide this afternoon. Starting today, mostly dry thunderstorms will develop across southern UT continuing into Saturday. A stronger monsoonal moisture surge is expected Sunday, increasing humidities and rainfall associated with thunderstorms as well as increasing coverage for showers and thunderstorms further north. Gusty and erratic winds up to 50mph are possible with thunderstorms through Saturday across southern UT.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Extreme Heat Warning from noon Friday to midnight MDT Sunday night for UTZ101-102-104-105-115-120-121.

Heat Advisory from noon Friday to midnight MDT Sunday night for UTZ103-106-107-114-116.

Heat Advisory from noon today to 9 PM MDT Saturday for UTZ118- 119-122-126-127.

Extreme Heat Warning from noon today to 9 PM MDT Saturday for UTZ123-124-128>131.

WY...Red Flag Warning from noon today to 9 PM MDT this evening for WYZ277.