textproduct: Salt Lake City

KEY MESSAGES

- Any lingering snow over northern Utah is expected to taper off by sunrise as a storm system exits the area, allowing high pressure to build.

- Temperatures will drop to near or below seasonal normals to start the week, warming back to above normal levels through the first half of the upcoming week.

- There is potential for a return to a more active pattern beginning Thursday, but significant uncertainty remains.

DISCUSSION

The cold storm system that grazed northern Utah overnight is exiting the area this morning. Seeing a few light showers continuing, primarily for areas southeast of the Great Salt Lake, but accumulations should be light. Remaining showers will diminish over the next couple of hours, resulting in clearing skies across the area for the majority of the day. Afternoon highs will be near to just below seasonal normals, in great contrast to the record warmth that has defined much of the month for the region.

With high pressure building off the Pacific coast to start the week, eventually phasing with a trough diving into southern California, there will be a weak Rex Block pattern in place through the middle of the week. This will keep conditions dry over Utah and southwest Wyoming with steadily warming temperatures, at least aloft. Developing inversions will act to limit warming in prone valley locations, though highs will still be just above normal for this time of year.

The trough off the southern California coast is eventually expected to move back onshore beginning Thursday, bringing the potential for moist and unstable conditions to return to the area for the latter part of the week. There is more spread than usual in the guidance due to the interactions between the trough and the Pacific ridge, so details about the most likely locations for precipitation as well as amounts are murky at this time. However, confidence is increasing in the pattern becoming more active late in the week through at least the beginning of next week.

REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING

VFR conditions will persist for the entire airspace through the period. Mountain snow showers will end by morning as drier air moves into the area. Skies will clear throughout the day with light winds, primarily out of the north.

SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

UT...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST early this morning for UTZ110>113.

WY...None.