895
FXUS65 KSLC 041013
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
313 AM MST WED FEB 4 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP CONDITIONS DRY AND MILD INTO
THE WEEKEND.
- A COOLER AND MORE UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL DEVELOP BY EARLY NEXT
WEEK AS A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS IMPACT THE AREA, WITH SNOW
BECOMING LIKELY, AT LEAST FOR UTAH'S MOUNTAINS.
DISCUSSION
HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS CENTERED OVER CALIFORNIA
EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH A DRY NORTHERLY FLOW CONTINUING OVER UTAH
AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. THIS FEATURE WILL GRADUALLY TRACK EAST
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK, WITH THE RIDGE AXIS MOVING
OVERHEAD BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL MAINTAIN DRY AND STABLE
CONDITIONS WITH INCREASINGLY LIGHT WINDS. MUCH OF THE AREA WILL
SEE A CONTINUED WARMING TREND, WITH MAXES UP TO 20F ABOVE SEASONAL
NORMALS FOR THURSDAY. VALLEYS PRONE TO INVERSIONS, HOWEVER, WILL
SEE LITTLE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURES, WITH MAXES CONTINUING TO
AVERAGE ABOUT 10F ABOVE CLIMO.
THE RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE EAST ON FRIDAY IN RESPONSE TO
ONE STORM SYSTEM MOVING ONSHORE ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST BEFORE
MERGING WITH A PACIFIC NORTHWEST SYSTEM AND TRACKING ACROSS THE
DESERT SOUTHWEST. GIVEN THESE SYSTEMS ARE LACKING IN MOISTURE,
IMPACTS TO UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING WILL BE LIMITED, WITH JUST
SOME SLIGHT COOLING ALOFT.
THE PASSAGE OF THIS SYSTEM DOES HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WEATHER
PATTERN FOR THE WEEK AHEAD, HOWEVER. THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE
THAT THE LACK OF A BLOCKING RIDGE WILL BRING A RETURN TO A MORE
ACTIVE PATTERN AND THUS COOLER AND MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR THE
ENTIRETY OF NEXT WEEK AND PERHAPS BEYOND. DESPITE THE CONFIDENCE
IN THE PATTERN SHIFT, CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW ON THE DETAILS OF
INDIVIDUAL STORM SYSTEMS. IT IS LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKELY,
HOWEVER, THAT A PACIFIC NORTHWEST STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A COLD
FRONT THROUGH AT LEAST NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA BEGINNING
MONDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION IS LOOKING MURKIER WITH
RECENT MODEL RUNS, WITH A MAJORITY OF ENSEMBLES NOW INDICATING
LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MOISTURE WITH THE FRONT, AND THUS LIMITED
PRECIPITATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH IT.
BEYOND THAT, THE GUIDANCE DIVERGES QUITE A BIT, BUT THERE APPEARS
TO BE AT LEAST SOME POTENTIAL FOR WARMER BUT MORE MOIST SYSTEMS TO
BRING CONTINUING POTENTIAL FOR PRECIPITATION.
AVIATION...KSLC
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL UNDER LARGELY CLEAR
SKIES THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. LIGHT TERRAIN DRIVEN FLOWS WILL
PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY, WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS TRANSITIONING TO
NORTHERLY WINDS AROUND 18-19Z.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL
ACROSS UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD.
HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH AND
SOUTHWEST WYOMING WITH NO IMPACTS EXPECTED FOR SURFACE OPERATIONS.
LIGHT TERRAIN DRIVEN FLOWS ARE EXPECTED AREAWIDE AS WELL.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...TRAPHAGAN
AVIATION...WEBBER
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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