314
FXUS65 KSLC 212257
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
357 PM MST FRI FEB 21 2025
SYNOPSIS
DRIER CONDITIONS WILL SETTLE INTO THE AREA TODAY. A WEAK
DISTURBANCE WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO
NORTHERN UTAH LATE SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY.
SHORT TERM (THROUGH 12Z/5AM SUNDAY)
DESPITE OUR GRADUAL
TRANSITION INTO A DRIER PERIOD, LOW STRATUS IS STILL HANGING ON TO
AND NEXT TO HIGHER TERRAIN ACROSS NORTHERN/CENTRAL UTAH THIS
AFTERNOON THANKS TO LOW- LEVEL MOISTURE AND RECENT SNOW COVER.
THESE LOW CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO DISSIPATE THROUGH THE EVENING,
THOUGH AREAS OF PATCHY FOG MAY REDEVELOP OVERNIGHT NEAR THE UT-ID
BORDER AND IN THE BEAR RIVER VALLEY. GIVEN DRIER AIR AND
SUBSIDENCE MOVING INTO THE REGION AS OUR TROUGH EXITS EASTWARD,
FOG IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE NEARLY AS WIDESPREAD AS EARLY THIS
MORNING. OUTSIDE OF THESE AREAS, SKIES WILL CLEAR OVERNIGHT, SO
EXPECT SOMEWHAT CHILLIER MINIMUM TEMPERATURES EARLY SATURDAY
MORNING ACROSS VALLEYS, IN THE LOW-20S ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT AND
NEAR FREEZING IN ST. GEORGE.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL QUICKLY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING, FOLLOWED BY A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH THAT WILL
ONLY ACT TO BRIEFLY INCREASE CLOUDS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. DESPITE
THIS WEAK WAVE, MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL INCREASE BY
AROUND 5 DEGREES FROM TODAY, SITTING NEAR TO JUST BELOW NORMAL.
LONG TERM (AFTER 12Z/5AM SUNDAY)
LONGWAVE RIDGING WILL BRING
QUIET WEATHER TO THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE EXTENDED PORTION OF
THE FORECAST WITH GENERALLY ABOVE- AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.
INITIALLY, A COUPLE COMPACT SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL MOVE INLAND
OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WHICH WILL STREAM MOISTURE INLAND
TOWARD OUR NORTHERN UT AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING COUNTIES. THIS
MOISTURE WON'T AMOUNT TO MUCH AS THE BETTER FORCING AND MOISTURE
TO AN EXTENT REMAINS NORTH OF THE UTAH BORDER, THOUGH IT COULD
SPARK SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND RAIN SHOWERS FOR
THE LOWER ELEVATION VALLEYS WITH POPS GENERALLY HANGING AROUND
20-30%.
REGARDING TEMPERATURES, THE EXTREME FORECAST INDEX (EFI) HAS A
PRETTY NOTABLE SIGNAL ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA FROM MONDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY, MOST NOTABLY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY ACROSS
SOUTHWEST UTAH. PRONOUNCED MID-LEVEL HEIGHT RISES THROUGH THE START
OF THE WEEK WILL YIELD SEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE STATE AND PARTICULARLY SOUTHERN UTAH WHERE TEMPERATURES COULD
PERHAPS REACH AS HIGH AS THE LOW 80S NEAR ST. GEORGE. ADDITIONALLY,
THE SLC AREA WILL LIKELY SEE TEMPERATURES BREAK INTO THE LOW 50S
POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS SUNDAY, WARMING INTO THE MID 50S COME MONDAY.
THESE PLEASANT, THOUGH UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST AND
PERHAPS BEYOND.
AS WE APPROACH THE TAIL END OF FEBRUARY, THERE CONTINUES TO BE A
SIGNAL AMONGST ENSEMBLE MEMBERS INDICATING THE RIDGE BREAKING DOWN
WITH ANOTHER TROUGH MOVING IN, THOUGH IT IS QUITE FAR OUT IN THE
FORECAST AND RELATIVELY UNLIKELY WITH UNCERTAINTY CONTINUING TO
REMAIN HIGH. HOWEVER, THE CPC DOES HAVE NORTHERN UTAH OUTLINED FOR
SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL IN THEIR WEEKS 3-4 PRECIPITATION OUTLOOK, SO
NOT ALL HOPE IS LOST. REGARDLESS, BE SURE TO GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY
THOSE PLEASANTLY WARM TEMPERATURES!
AVIATION...KSLC
SOME LOW LEVEL CLOUDS MAY LINGER THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON, LEADING TO PERIODIC MVFR CIGS. OTHERWISE, CONDITIONS
REMAIN DRY. LIGHT NNW WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH AROUND 04Z, BEFORE
TRANSITIONING TO LIGHT SE'ERLY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. VFR
CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD AFTER
LOW LEVEL CLOUDS DISSIPATE OVERNIGHT, WITH CONCERNS FOR TERRAIN
OBSCURATION RETURNING AROUND 21Z SATURDAY AS A WEAK WAVE BRINGS
INCREASING CLOUD COVERAGE ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
SOME LOW LEVEL CLOUDS REMAIN
BANKED ACROSS THE WASATCH FRONT AND CENTRAL UTAH MOUNTAINS.
OTHERWISE CLEAR SKIES PREVAIL ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION. EXPECT ANY
LINGERING CLOUD COVERAGE TO DECREASE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. FOG
REMAINS A CONCERN FOR VALLEY TERMINALS, MAINLY KLGU, WITH CHANCES TO
BRING IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS SATURDAY MORNING. OTHERWISE, VFR
CONDITIONS PREVAIL FOR REGIONAL TERMINALS THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF
PERIOD.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
CUNNINGHAM/WORSTER/WHITLAM
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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