560
FXUS65 KSLC 202202
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
302 PM MST SAT DEC 20 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL PASS THROUGH NORTHERN
UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, BRINGING ANOTHER
ROUND OF HIGH ELEVATION SNOW AND VALLEY RAIN, PRIMARILY FOR
AREAS NEAR THE UTAH/IDAHO BORDER.
- WINDS WILL BE BREEZY AT TIMES THROUGH TUESDAY, PRIMARILY OVER
WESTERN UTAH, BEFORE BECOMING STRONGER WEDNESDAY INTO EARLY
FRIDAY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF ANOTHER WARM PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM.
- ANOTHER WARM STORM SYSTEM MAY IMPACT THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW HAS TAPERED OFF OVER
NORTHERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO A
DECREASE IN MOISTURE AND UPPER LEVEL JET SUPPORT, THOUGH SOME
CLOUDS REMAIN. THUS, TEMPERATURES ARE LESS WARM TODAY BUT STILL
AVERAGING OVER 10F ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE AREA, AND UP TO 20F ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS ACROSS SOUTHERN
UTAH.
IN WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT, WILL SEE MOISTURE START TO
INCREASE AGAIN OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY, PRIMARILY FOR AREAS NEAR THE
UTAH/IDAHO BORDER, WITH A SERIES OF WEAK WEATHER DISTURBANCES
PROVIDING PERIODS OF INCREASE INSTABILITY INTO MONDAY. FOR MOST OF
NORTHERN UTAH, ANY ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT AT BEST WITH NOW
LEVELS IN THE 6,000 TO 7,000 FT RANGE. HOWEVER, CONDITIONS WILL BE
MORE FAVORABLE FOR ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE MOUNTAIN ADJACENT TO THE
UTAH/IDAHO BORDER, THOUGH THE BEST MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL
BE ON THE IDAHO SIDE. DESPITE THE POTENTIAL FOR GOOD QPF NUMBERS,
HAVE HELD OFF ON WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES AS SNOW RATIOS SHOULD
REMAIN LOW, LIMITING ACCUMULATIONS AND LIMITING THE AREA OF BEST
ACCUMULATIONS.
AS BROAD HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES, THE
MOISTURE AXIS OVER NORTHERN UTAH WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD BY EARLY
TUESDAY, ALLOWING DRIER AND WARMER AIR TO MOVE IN. FOR THE MIDDLE
OF THE WEEK, MAXES ARE EXPECTED TO RUN AROUND 20F ABOVE NORMAL FOR
THIS TIME OF YEAR, TEMPERATURES MORE TYPICAL OF HALLOWEEN THAN
CHRISTMAS. HOWEVER, AS A TROUGH MOVES ONSHORE ALONG THE PACIFIC
COAST WEDNESDAY, WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN, PARTICULARLY FOR
WESTERN UTAH. AS THIS WARM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH, IT IS EXPECTED TO
BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW ACROSS MUCH
OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR CHRISTMAS EVE INTO CHRISTMAS DAY, SO
MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS ARE LIKELY TO SEE A WHITE CHRISTMAS, WHILE IT
WILL BE MORE OF A WET CHRISTMAS FOR THE VALLEYS.
THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER OVER
NORTHERN UTAH INTO FRIDAY BEFORE A BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTION. A
LARGE PORTION OF GUIDANCE IS INDICATING ANOTHER WARM PACIFIC
SYSTEM MAY IMPACT THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK, BRINGING ADDITIONAL
VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. AS IT STANDS, THE CURRENT FORECAST
OF SEEING NO VALLEY SNOW THROUGH CHRISTMAS WOULD HAVE SLC
SURPASSING THE SECOND LATEST FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW OF THE SEASON
TITLE, AND IF SNOW HOLDS OFF PAST JANUARY 2ND, ANY SNOW THAT FALLS
IN SLC THEREAFTER WILL BE THE LATEST FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON ON
RECORD.
AVIATION...KSLC
VFR CONDITIONS PERSIST AT THE TERMINAL THROUGH
TONIGHT. GENERALLY LIGHT NORTHWESTERLY WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH AROUND
00-02Z BEFORE TRANSITIONING SOUTHEASTERLY THEREAFTER. AN INCOMING
WARM STORM BRINGS INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 12Z, IN ADDITION
TO INCREASING CHANCES FOR RAIN SHOWERS TO IMPACT THE TERMINAL THAT
WILL RESULT IN CIGS DIPPING BELOW 6KFT.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
OVERALL LIGHT, TERRAIN DRIVEN
WINDS PERSIST THROUGH TONIGHT FOR ALL REGIONAL TERMINALS. INCREASING
SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AIRSPACE SUNDAY MORNING
AHEAD OF A WARM STORM BRINGING INCREASED PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR
NORTHERN UTAH THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. PRECIP CHANCES FOR SUNDAY
ALONG AND EAST OF THE WASATCH, WITH POTENTIAL TO BRING MVFR/PERIODIC
IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE DAY.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...TRAPHAGAN
AVIATION...WHITLAM
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page