400
FXUS65 KSLC 270436
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
1036 PM MDT THU MAR 26 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- NEAR-TO-BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT FOR
SOME LOCATIONS ACROSS THE NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT AND THE CACHE
VALLEY.
- RIDGING RE-AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE WESTERN US THROUGH THE WEEKEND,
GIVING WAY TO NEAR-RECORD HEAT ONCE AGAIN AREAWIDE SATURDAY
THROUGH MONDAY.
- A SHIFT IN THE PATTERN IS EXPECTED TUESDAY ONWARD, WITH
INCREASING CHANCES FOR WIDESPREAD VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.
DISCUSSION
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE A DIVE ACROSS
UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING TONIGHT AS COOL, NORTHERLY FLOW
PREVAILS ACROSS THE REGION BEHIND A COLD FRONT PASSAGE. NORTHERN
UTAH WILL SEE MOST SIGNIFICANT COOLING, WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS TRENDING
10-15 DEGREES COOLER. SOME LOCATIONS LIKE THE CACHE VALLEY AND
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT SHOULD BE ADVISED THERE IS
A THREAT FOR LOWS TO DIP BELOW FREEZING IN SOME AREAS. THOSE IN
THESE AREAS WHO GOT A HEAD START ON THEIR GARDENING OR
AGRICULTURE DUE TO RECENT WARMTH SHOULD CONSIDER PROTECTING
SENSITIVE VEGETATION TONIGHT. WHILE THESE LOW TEMPERATURE ARE
CLOSER TO SEASONAL NORMALS, OUR RECENT HEAT WILL MAKE THESE
TEMPERATURES FEEL A BIT LIKE WHIPLASH. MIGHT WANT TO BREAK OUT A
COAT AS YOU HEAD OUT IN THE MORNING.
NORTHERLY WINDS HAVE ALSO RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GAP WINDS
ACROSS LOWER WASHINGTON COUNTY THIS EVENING. EXPECT THESE GUSTY WINDS
TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT BEFORE TAPERING OFF AROUND SUNSET, WITH
GUSTS 35-45 MPH EXPECTED FOR AREAS PRONE TO THESE GAP WINDS.
RIDGING BRIEFLY REAMPLIFIES ACROSS THE WESTERN US THIS WEEKEND,
RESULTING IN HIGHS CLIMBING BACK TO NEAR-RECORD VALUES AREAWIDE
THIS WEEKEND. WHILE THE PERSISTENT RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN
SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, HEAT WILL STILL LINGER AS WARM, WEST-SOUTHWEST
FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE REGION. MEAGER MOISTURE TRANSPORT ALONG
THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE MAY ALLOW FOR SOME ISOLATED HIGH-
BASED CONVECTION TO DEVELOP EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS PERIOD AS
WELL, THOUGH LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT IS LESS CERTAIN. MAIN
CONCERNS FOR ANY CELLS THAT DEVELOP INCLUDE GUSTY AND ERRATIC
OUTFLOW WINDS GIVEN DRY LOWER LEVELS.
MODELS ARE STILL SHOWING STRONG CONSENSUS FOR A STARK SHIFT IN THE
PATTERN BEGINNING NEXT WEEK, WITH SEVERAL SYSTEMS BRINGING COOLER
AND WETTER CONDITIONS AREAWIDE. THIS PATTERN SHIFT BEGINS ON
MONDAY AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH EJECTS INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST;
CONCURRENTLY, A LONGWAVE TROUGH WITH AN ASSOCIATED STRONG UPPER-
LEVEL JET BUILDS OFF THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL YIELD STRONG
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE REGION ON MONDAY, WITH GUSTY WINDS
DEVELOPING ACROSS MOST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING ON MONDAY
AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25-30 MPH LIKELY (>80%
CHANCE) ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION THROUGH THE EVENING. ON TUESDAY,
THE AFOREMENTIONED LONGWAVE TROUGH EJECTS A SHORTWAVE THROUGH THE
REGION; THIS PORTION WILL HAVE A GOOD MOISTURE TAP ASSOCIATED
WITH IT. CURRENT GUIDANCE SUGGESTS BEST DYNAMICS WILL BE FOCUSED
ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH DURING THIS PERIOD, THOUGH WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION IS STILL EXPECTED GIVEN THE EFFICIENT MOISTURE TAP.
EXACT TIMING OF THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION IS STILL SPLIT AT THIS
TIME, WITH ABOUT HALF OF ENSEMBLES SHOWING PRECIPITATION
OVERSPREADING THE REGION AS EARLY AS TUESDAY MORNING, WITH THE
OTHER HALF HOLDING OFF UNTIL LATE TUESDAY EVENING. THIS PORTION
WILL ALSO BE ON THE WARMER SIDE, WITH SNOW LEVELS AROUND 8000
FEET. A SECONDARY, REINFORCING SHORTWAVE QUICKLY MOVES IN ON THE
HEELS OF THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM. THIS WAVE IS EXPECTED TO DROP IN
FROM THE NORTHWEST, MAINLY FAVORING HEAVY PRECIPITATION ACROSS
NORTHERN UTAH. THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY WITH THIS
SYSTEM REGARDING ITS MAGNITUDE, BUT OVERALL, EXPECT A CONTINUATION
OF COOLER AND WETTER WEATHER THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF THE WORK
WEEK.
AVIATION...KSLC
POST-FRONTAL FLOW WILL MAINTAIN NW WINDS INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS, DELAYING THE NORMAL DIURNAL WIND SHIFT IF NOT
PREVENTING IT ENTIRELY (~30-40% CHANCE). THAT SAID, MAGNITUDES ARE
EXPECTED TO RELAX AND BECOME FAIRLY LIGHT. IF DRAINAGE FLOW DOES
DEVELOP, A RETURN TO NW WINDS IS EXPECTED BY LATE MORNING OR SO.
SKIES WILL REMAIN VFR WITH SOME HIGH CLOUDS FILTERING THROUGH.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
PASSAGE OF A DRY COLD FRONT
WILL DELAY OR PREVENT TYPICAL DIURNAL WIND SHIFT AT MANY AREA
TERMINALS, WITH PERIODS OF LIGHT AND VARIABLE CONDITIONS MIXED IN.
AT SGU, THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN SOME GUSTY
NE GAP WINDS PUSHING DOWN THE TERRAIN OVERNIGHT. AS THE SYSTEM
FURTHER DEPARTS TOMORROW, TERMINALS WILL GENERALLY SEE A RETURN TO
MORE DIURNALLY TYPICAL FLOW. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL, WITH SOME
HIGH CLOUDS FILTERING THROUGH OVERHEAD.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...WHITLAM
AVIATION...WARTHEN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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