734
FXUS65 KSLC 190402
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
1002 PM MDT WED MAR 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING HISTORICALLY WARM WEATHER FOR MARCH
THROUGH SATURDAY. DAYTIME MAX TEMPERATURES WILL CHALLENGE
MONTHLY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDS AS THEY APPROACH 30 DEGREES
ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS.
- A DRY COLD FRONT WILL BRING A BRIEF COOLING TREND SUNDAY,
THOUGH DAYTIME HIGHS WILL REMAIN 10 TO 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL.
- A RETURN TO NEAR RECORD TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK
AS HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS TO THE REGION.
DISCUSSION
AN ANOMALOUSLY STRONG MID LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED OVER
THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WILL AMPLIFY SOMEWHAT THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY,
ALLOWING FOR A SLIGHT WARMING TREND FROM WHAT ARE ALREADY RECORD
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. CEDAR CITY TIED THEIR MAX
TEMPERATURE RECORD FOR MARCH AT 81F THIS AFTERNOON, WHILE KSLC
FELL 1 DEGREE SHORT...REACHING 79F. THESE ARE TEMPERATURES
TYPICALLY SEEN IN EARLY JUNE, NOT MID-MARCH.
NBM 5.0 25TH-75TH PERCENTILE MAX TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR KSLC
TRENDS 2-3F HIGHER THURSDAY, AND ANOTHER 2-3F HIGHER FRIDAY AS THE
RIDGE AMPLIFIES. WITH THIS ADDITIONAL WARMING, EXPECT KSLC TO AT
A MINIMUM TIE THE MONTHLY RECORD OF 80F ON THURSDAY AND BREAK IT
FRIDAY, WHILE CEDAR CITY WILL EXCEED THE MONTHLY RECORD OF 81F
WITH AN ADDITIONAL 3-4F WARMING EXPECTED ON THURSDAY. FOR ST
GEORGE, WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE COOP OBSERVATION TO COME IN,
BUT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2-4F OF WARMING ON THURSDAY, THEY WILL
CERTAINLY BREAK THE PREVIOUS MONTHLY RECORD OF 91F FOR MARCH.
A DRY COLD FRONT WILL COOL TEMPERATURES ~15F ON SUNDAY ACROSS
NORTHERN UTAH, AND 3-8F ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH. DESPITE THIS,
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE LATTER PORTION
OF MARCH. THIS "COOL-DOWN" WILL BE SHORT LIVED HOWEVER, AS MID
LEVEL RIDGING QUICKLY REBOUNDS MONDAY, PUSHING TEMPERATURES BACK
NEAR RECORD TERRITORY BY TUESDAY. CONFIDENCE IS LOW BEYOND
WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK IN THE OVERALL PATTERN, AS SPREAD INCREASES
WITHIN THE GUIDANCE OWING TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A SHORTWAVE TROUGH
TO PASS THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES.
AVIATION...KSLC
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL RESULT IN CONTINUED
CLEAR TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WITH VFR CONDITIONS, AND LIGHT WINDS
WITH TYPICAL DIURNAL DIRECTIONAL SHIFTS.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
ONGOING PATTERN DOMINATED BY
HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE. SKIES WILL BE CLEAR TO MOSTLY CLEAR
WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING. AT MOST TERMINALS WINDS WILL TEND TO
BE FAIRLY LIGHT WITH DIURNALLY TYPICAL DIRECTION SHIFTS. SOME HIGHER
ELEVATION AND EXPOSED TERMINALS (EVW) WILL SEE MODEST DAYTIME WIND
GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KTS OR SO.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT SATURDAY FOR WYZ277.
PUBLIC...SEAMAN
AVIATION...WARTHEN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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