textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES

- A cold airmass has settled into the region with snow showers, particularly in the mountains, reinvigorating this afternoon and evening before gradually tapering off on Friday.

- A closed low to our south with the jet stream to our north will keep moisture to our north and south while we stay relatively dry with increasing temperatures through the weekend and most of next week.

DISCUSSION

A cold airmass has settled into the region with 700 mb temperatures ~-10C. This is resulting in snow reaching valley floors this morning from scattered showers across portions of the Wasatch Front and southern Utah near Cedar City. Most of this activity has pushed into eastern Utah allowing for a brief lull in activity this morning before the trough axis pushes through this afternoon. This will reinvigorate showery activity across northern and central Utah. Moisture, steep lapse rates, and northwest flow will aid in brief, but heavy, snow across valley and mountain locations this afternoon and evening. Reduced visibilities <1/4 mile and a quick slush up on area roads will be possible underneath the heaviest showers. Additionally, northerly winds will remain elevated across central and southern Utah today and tomorrow, but wind gusts will remain below advisory levels.

The trough that is responsible for the cold air and showery activity will start to split overhead. As it splits, flow aloft will gradually go more northerly during the day on Friday with snow continuing in the mountains of northern and central Utah. Snow totals between 6 to 12 inches with locally higher totals up to 18 inches will be possible in the northern and central mountains, particularly aspects that do well in northerly flow. Precipitation will taper off later in the day on Friday as the trough continues to split.

The splitting trough will develop a closed low off the Baja coast with the jet stream staying north into Idaho. This will keep weather mostly dry with gradually warming temperatures through the weekend and into next week. High temperatures on Monday will be in the 60s across most valleys with mid to upper 70s across the lower elevations of southwestern Utah. The only chances for precipitation will exist on Tuesday across far northern Utah/SW Wyoming and far southern Utah as these areas will be close enough to the moisture from the jet to our north and closed low to our south moving across the desert southwest.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING

Periods of light snow showers are likely at most northern terminals this afternoon, with brief accompanying MVFR to IFR conditions. A second round of enhanced snow after 03z is more likely to induce MVFR to IFR countdowns through about 08z. CDC may see a brief MVFR period with vicinity showers after midnight.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Friday for UTZ108-110>113- 117>119-125.

WY...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Friday for WYZ021.