textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES

- The threat for freezing rain remains for portions northern Utah, with the greatest confidence expected along I-80 from the Salt Flats to the Nevada border. Elsewhere, scattered to isolated freezing rain is expected.

- High elevation snowfall will bring travel impacts to elevations above 7500-8000 feet the remainder of the day and into Friday morning.

- An active weather pattern will follow this initial storm as we head into early next week, bringing continued threat for high elevation snowfall and travel impacts.

LONG TERM (After 00Z Saturday/5 PM Friday)

A shortwave ridge will build into the area by Friday evening, bringing a more stable airmass and resulting in a break in precipitation through Saturday. However, a low pressure system situated upstream off the NorCal and Oregon coast during that time means that more weather will be coming.

A series of weather systems dropping in from the north will interact with the low, maintaining an active pattern for Utah from Sunday through Tuesday as various shortwaves eject through Utah. More specific details of these individual waves are difficult to resolve at this time. However, with southwest flow remaining largely in place, snow levels will generally remain high (around 7-8kft), resulting in valley rain and mountain snow. However, there is a fair amount of model consensus on a splitting trough crossing the area on Tuesday, with resulting cooler air potentially lowering snow levels to near 5.5-6.5kft. Otherwise, as the unsettled weather pattern should prevent any strong valley inversions, temperatures are expected to return to well above normal values.

Behind the splitting trough, another brief lull in the weather will be possible on Wednesday. Thereafter, another series of shortwave troughs will arrive from the northwest which look to bring a colder airmass to the area with the potential for valley snow late in the week.

AVIATION...KSLC

Precipitation is expected to spread from the southwest into the SLC terminal around 12z, continuing at times through the valid TAF period. Precipitation is expected to begin largely in the VFR category, with increasing chances of seeing MVFR CIGS towards the late morning and early afternoon hours today along with mountain obscurations. A low but nonzero chance (5-10%) of periods of freezing rain/drizzle is noted during the morning hours, especially between 12-16z. Winds are largely expected to remain out of the south except for a northwesterly shift for a few hours in the afternoon.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Precipitation is expected to continue to spread from southwest into northern Utah this morning. While snow levels are expected to rise above most terminals through the day, valley areas maintaining strong low-level inversions will see a low end chance (5-10%) of periods of freezing rain/drizzle. The exception is the northwestern valleys including KENV, where chances are higher (60-80%). Areas of MVFR CIGS can be expected especially towards the late morning into the afternoon hours, with mountain obscurations. Otherwise, a general southwesterly flow is expected in most areas.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST this morning for UTZ101- 102.

Winter Weather Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 AM MST Friday for UTZ110.

Winter Weather Advisory from 8 AM this morning to 11 AM MST Friday for UTZ111-112.

WY...None.