textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES

- Precipitation from a Pacific Northwest storm system will continue to taper off today. In its wake, temperatures will be more typical of early March than mid-May, with highs up to 20F below seasonal normals. - Freeze conditions will impact many Utah valleys outside of the Wasatch Front again Tuesday morning. Areas that will see the greatest impacts include west central Utah, southwest Utah, the Wasatch Back, Cache Valley, the western Uinta Basin, and the Sanpete and Sevier valleys.

- Temperatures will gradually warm for the remainder of the week, reaching values up to 10F above seasonal normals by Saturday. Conditions will be generally dry, with the exception of northeast portions of the forecast area on Thursday.

DISCUSSION

The cold upper trough that has been moving across Utah and southwest Wyoming is making its way into Colorado this morning. Precipitation over the area has mostly diminished, with the exception of southwest Wyoming and the mountains of northern Utah. Precipitation is expected to mostly end by the afternoon hours, with one last trailing wave keeping enough lingering moisture and instability in place for a few showers over the higher terrain of northern Utah. High temperatures today will be up to 20F below seasonal normals, making it feel a lot more like early March than mid-May.

The area saw patches of below freezing temperatures across many valleys, particularly for western and central Utah. With clouds clearing out for tonight, low temperatures will be a bit colder than yesterday, resulting in more widespread freeze conditions. Have expanded the Freeze Warning for tomorrow morning into Castle Country, with the threat otherwise being covered well.

Conditions will be generally dry for the remainder of the week, with temperatures creeping upward, eventually to values up to 10F above seasonal normals by the weekend. That being said, the Pacific ridge will remain centered offshore, and its position will periodically allow weak troughs to move over the top of the ridge into Utah and southwest Wyoming. The most notable of these will be on Thursday, and this feature has trended stronger in today's suite of guidance. Thus precipitation, generally light, is now looking increasing likely for at least northeastern portions of the forecast area during the day Thursday, with the trough curbing warming for that day.

By the weekend, the Pacific ridge finally has a good chance of tracking eastward, eventually overheard, which is why conditions will be most dry and mild during that time per the latest forecast.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING

Rain/ snow showers will continue across the northern half of the area through the afternoon hours, bringing continued mountain obscuration and areas of IFR to LIFR conditions in snowfall in southwest Wyoming. Skies will gradually clear, especially along and west of the I-15 corridor, through the mid to late-afternoon hours. Expect breezy north to northwest winds across much of the area through the afternoon hours, returning to light terrain driven flows after sunset.

FIRE WEATHER

Lingering showers from the unseasonably cold system that moved across the state yesterday into this morning will continue into the afternoon, with generally dry conditions prevailing for the remainder of the upcoming week. Temperatures will gradually warm over the next several days, with highs averaging 10F above seasonal normals by the upcoming weekend.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 9 AM MDT Tuesday for UTZ107-108-114>116-118>120-122.

Winter Weather Advisory until midnight MDT tonight for UTZ112.

WY...Winter Weather Advisory until midnight MDT tonight for WYZ021.