213
FXUS65 KSLC 080947
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
247 AM MST THU JAN 8 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- MOUNTAIN SNOW EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY, TAPERING OFF IN
THE EVENING HOURS.
- LAKE EFFECT SNOW DEVELOPS FOR THE SALT LAKE VALLEY FOLLOWING THE
PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR DURING THE
AM, PERHAPS RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS TRAVEL DURING THE WORK COMMUTE.
- MOST OTHER VALLEYS ACROSS UT CAN EXPECT TO SEE AT LEAST A TRACE OF
SNOW TODAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LOWER WASHINGTON COUNTY.
- HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOLLOWING THIS SYSTEM AND WILL LAST
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS FORECAST, PERHAPS EVEN BEYOND.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WOULD FAVOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VALLEY
INVERSIONS.
DISCUSSION
CURRENTLY, A COLD FRONT IS ACCELERATING ACROSS
NORTHWEST UT TOWARD THE WASATCH FRONT. AS IT CURRENTLY UNDERGOES
FRONTOGENESIS, A BAND OF CONVECTIVE RAIN SHOWERS HAS DEVELOPED ALONG
THE FRONT WITH GUSTS AROUND 30MPH OBSERVED. AS THIS CONVECTION
APPROACHES THE WASATCH MOUNTAINS, SOME ISOLATED LIGHTNING CAN'T BE
RULED OUT.
FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT, COLD NORTHWESTERLY FLOW
WILL FILL IN SERVING TO DROP SNOW LEVELS MARKEDLY AND RESULT IN AIR
TEMPERATURES FALLING TO NEAR OR JUST BELOW FREEZING FOR MOST OF THE
WASATCH FRONT. THERE MAY BE A BRIEF LULL IN ACTIVITY, PERHAPS A UP
TO A COUPLE HOURS FOLLOWING THE FRONTAL PASSAGE DUE TO THE TROUGH
AXIS ALOFT LAGGING BEHIND, BEFORE A LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND DEVELOPS
IN THE FRONTAL BOUNDARIES WAKE. WHILE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST
TO REMAIN MODEST (GENERALLY 1-3", LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 6" ON
BENCHES), THIS BAND IS FORECAST TO SET UP DURING THE AM COMMUTE
TODAY RESULTING IN POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL. LAKE EFFECT SHOWERS
ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS, TAPERING OFF
BY THE EVENING AS WE SWITCH TO NORTHERLY FLOW AND LOSE MOISTURE.
REGARDING THE MOUNTAINS, THE FORECAST REMAINS RELATIVELY UNCHANGED
FROM PREVIOUS PACKAGES. THE COTTONWOODS AND BEAR RIVER RANGE APPEAR
MOST FAVORED IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW REGIME, WITH GENERALLY 6-12"
EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO AROUND 18-20" ACROSS BOTH
LOCATIONS. ACROSS OUR CENTRAL MOUNTAINS, EXPECT 8-12" AND FOR OUR
SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS, EXPECT 4-8".
FORECAST CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO INCREASE REGARDING A NOTABLY DRY
PERIOD FOLLOWING THIS SYSTEM AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.
WITH WEAK FLOW ALOFT EXPECTED, AND EXISTING SNOWFALL ON THE VALLEY
FLOORS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF VALLEY INVERSIONS APPEARS QUITE LIKELY.
THE OVERALL STRENGTH OF THE INVERSION IS HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON JUST
HOW MUCH SNOWFALL THE VALLEYS SEE AND POSITION OF THE RIDGE
OVERHEAD, CONTINUING TO YIELDING SOME UNCERTAINTY. OUR NEXT SHOT AT
ANY FORM OF PRECIPITATION APPEARS TO BE AROUND THE JANUARY 16-17TH
TIMEFRAME, THOUGH MANY DETAILS REGARDING THIS REMAIN UNCERTAIN AT
THIS TIME.
AVIATION...KSLC
OCCASIONAL SNOW SHOWERS DROPPING CIGS/VIS INTO
THE IFR OR LIFR CATEGORY WILL IMPACT THE TERMINAL THROUGHOUT THE
DAY, WITH THE MOST LIKELY WINDOWS COMING THIS MORNING THROUGH 15Z, AN
AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON BETWEEN 20-01Z. ANY ACCUMULATION WILL REMAIN
LESS THAN 2" ON UNTREATED SURFACES. AWAY FROM ANY SHOW SHOWERS, CIGS
WILL REMAIN IN THE 4000-5000 FT RANGE THROUGH THE DAY WITH
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. THIS EVENING LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN WEST OF THE TERMINAL, WITH ONLY A 10-20% CHANCE
THESE SHOWERS DRIFT OVER THE TERMINAL AFTER 01Z. WINDS WILL REMAIN
NORTHWESTERLY THROUGH THE PERIOD.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
A COLD FRONT WILL BRING
PERIODS OF SNOW TO NORTHERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING THROUGH THIS
MORNING, RESULTING IN IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS WITHIN HEAVIER SNOW
SHOWERS. THESE SHOWERS WILL PERSIST INTO THE AFTERNOON BEFORE
BECOMING CONFINED TO AREAS SOUTH OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE THIS
EVENING. THIS FRONT WILL ALSO BRING SNOW TO SOUTHWEST UTAH ABOVE
3000 FEET MAINLY AFTER 15Z. LIFR TO VLIFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED
WITHIN AREAS OF HEAVY SNOW. PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN RAIN AROUND
KSGU THROUGH THIS MORNING BEFORE ENDING MIDDAY AS THE FLOW BECOMES
NORTHERLY.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR
UTZ102>105-107-108-111>113.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR UTZ110.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR UTZ116-
117-125.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...WORSTER
AVIATION...SEAMAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
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