textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES, Issued 1017 PM MDT Mon Oct 12 2026

- A Pacific Northwest low tapping into the moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel will slowly make its way across Utah and southwest Wyoming through Tuesday. This will bring widespread valley rain with accumulating mountain snow, significant for northern Utah. Some showers will linger into Wednesday.

- Some outlying valleys, including the Cache Valley, may see freezing temperatures as early as Tuesday morning, with freezing temperatures becoming more widespread Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

- Conditions will steadily dry for the latter half of the week with a gradual warming trend in temperatures through the weekend.

DISCUSSION, Issued 1017 PM MDT Mon Oct 12 2026

A broad Pacific Northwest low is centered over central Nevada this evening, with the front half slowly making its way across Utah and southwest Wyoming. Its instability is combining with remnant moisture from what was Tropical Storm Rachel to bring fairly widespread coverage of precipitation, particularly for the western half of the area. Much of the state is waterlogged, and totals keep going up. However, the more steady nature of this rainfall has thus far not brought any additional flooding issues. Temperatures remain on the cool side, with maxes averaging 10F below seasonal normals.

The low's centered is expected to make a southeasterly trek to the Arizona/Nevada/Utah triple point Tuesday morning before tracking steadily eastward across the Desert Southwest through early Wednesday. This is not the direct hit from the low that guidance has been predicting in prior days, but it should still keep fairly widespread precipitation going over the forecast area throughout Tuesday with steadily lowering snow levels. That being said, snow levels are already a bit lower than forecast with snow being observed at the top of Little Cottonwood, so have opted to have the going Winter Weather Advisory for that zone start right away as opposed to tomorrow morning. QPF forecast has trended downward a bit given the change in the low's expected track, but still anticipate the snow in the Wasatch and the Uintas to be significant for the early season. Some showers may linger over eastern portions of the area from the low as late as Wednesday. However, latest model solutions are a bit quicker pulling the system out of the area.

The low is already bringing noticeably colder air with it and this will continue to filter in throughout Tuesday. Some outlying valleys, including the Cache Valley, could touch 32F as early as tomorrow morning. However, the freezing temperatures will be a bit more widespread Wednesday and Thursday mornings in the absence of significant cloud cover.

As the low finally exits, the ridge off the California coast will become the dominant weather feature over the forecast area. This will bring dry conditions with a slow but steady warming trend through early next week.

AVIATION, Issued 1017 PM MDT Mon Oct 12 2026

KSLC...Intermittent rain showers will continue through much of the valid TAF period with CIGs likely fluctuating between VFR-MVFR (2000- 5000ft AGL). Periods of heavier rainfall will yield lower CIGs/VIS, even briefly going IFR at times (20% chance, mainly before 12z). Winds will be largely light and variable overnight, with low confidence in wind direction. After 18z, northwesterly winds are likely to prevail.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Widespread showers will continue through the night and through the day on Tuesday across much of UT and southwest WY. Conditions will fluctuate between VFR- MVFR and even brief periods of IFR conditions during periods of heavier rainfall, particularly at KEVW/KLGU/KSVR. Broad southwesterly flow will slowly transition to northwesterly flow across the area by ~21z as an area of broad circulation (the low pressure system) crosses northern Utah.

FIRE WEATHER

A slow moving low pressure system will bring cooler temperatures along with widespread rain and high elevation snow through tonight. Snow levels will generally range from 7000 to 8000 feet across the state, but could temporarily lower within heavier bands of precipitation. This system will exit the region on Wednesday leaving a cool and stable airmass in its wake. High pressure will bring a warming and drying trend through the latter portion of the week into the upcoming weekend. Another storm system looks to bring additional precipitation to the region toward the middle of next week.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT Wednesday for UTZ111-112.

WY...None.