315
FXUS65 KSLC 201056
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
356 AM MST FRI FEB 20 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW RATES WILL DECREASE ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH WITH LIGHT
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS DURING THE DAY FRIDAY ACROSS THE AREA.
- HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FRIDAY, WITH DRY AND WARMER
CONDITIONS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
- THERE IS ~70% CHANCE FOR VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW MIDDLE
OF NEXT WEEK ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH/SW WYOMING.
DISCUSSION
HEAVY SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH
ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW MOVING THROUGH FOUR CORNERS REGION WILL
GRADUALLY DIMINISH AS THIS LOW PUSHES TO THE EAST. WRAP AROUND
MOISTURE HAS LED TO ENHANCED SNOW FOR AREAS THAT DO WELL IN
NORTHWEST FLOW, SUCH AS THE I-15 CORRIDOR FROM CEDAR CITY TO
FILLMORE. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD END AROUND NOON. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO
4 INCHES OF SNOW REMAINS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE VALLEYS OF CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN UTAH WHILE UP TO 8 ADDITIONAL INCHES REMAIN POSSIBLE
FOR THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.
ADDITIONALLY, A TROUGH MOVING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST IS BRINGING A
SHIFT TO NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH. THIS IS RESULTING IN
SOME WEAK ASCENT AND LOW DENSITY SNOW ACROSS SOME VALLEYS AND
MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN LIGHT, BUT COLD
SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL AID IN EFFICIENT ACCUMULATIONS FOR ANY
SNOW THAT DOES FALL, BUT VALLEY ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE <1".
AS THE TROUGH AXIS MOVES THROUGH UTAH DURING THE DAY ISOLATED SNOW
SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP. H700 TEMPERATURES WILL BOTTOM OUT AROUND
-14C. THESE STEEP LAPSE RATES PAIRED WITH A LITTLE MOISTURE AND
NORTHWEST FLOW WILL INVIGORATE SOME SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS DURING
THE DAY ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH, PARTICULARLY FOR
LOCATIONS THAT ARE FAVORED IN NORTHWEST FLOW. ANY ACCUMULATIONS
FROM THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE MINOR (<1") EXCEPT SOME ISOLATED
MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS THAT COULD SEE A QUICK COUPLE OF INCHES.
THIS ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AN END FRIDAY EVENING WITH COLD AIR
SETTLING INTO THE AREA. LOWS ON SATURDAY MORNING WILL BE IN THE
SINGLE DIGITS TO LOW 20S ACROSS ALL AREAS. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT,
BUT EVEN LIGHT WINDS WILL LEAD TO EXTREMELY COLD WIND CHILLS THAT
WILL POSE A RISK TO UNSHELTERED PEOPLE AND PETS.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL START TO BUILD INTO THE AREA THIS WEEKEND WITH
A GRADUAL WARMING TREND AND DRY CONDITIONS PERSISTING THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS RIDGE WILL BE CENTERED FURTHER SOUTH WITH
ZONAL FLOW ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH. ~70% OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS BRING
MOISTURE INTO NORTHERN UTAH/SW WYOMING BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
COLD AIR WILL BE LACKING WITH THIS MOISTURE SO VALLEY RAIN AND
MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL BE THE RESULT. THE REMAINING 30% OF MEMBERS
KEEP THIS MOISTURE TO OUR NORTHWEST.
AVIATION...KSLC
THROUGH 16Z THERE IS A 40% CHANCE LIGHT SNOW
OCCASIONALLY REDUCES CIGS/VIS INTO THE MVFR RANGE OR BELOW AT TIMES.
ANY ACCUMULATION WILL REMAIN BELOW 1". OTHERWISE CIGS WILL GENERALLY
REMAIN BELOW 7 KFT THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY, WITH AFTERNOON HEATING
BRINGING A 30% CHANCE FOR SHOW SHOWERS OCCASIONALLY DROPPING
CIGS/VIS INTO THE MVFR OR LOWER CATEGORY, MOSTLY LIKELY DURING THE
19-23Z TIMEFRAME. WINDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WILL REMAIN
NORTHWESTERLY.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
AREAS OF IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS
IN SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH 15Z ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTHERN UTAH, WITH
PREDOMINANT VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA AFTER 15Z.
AFTERNOON HEATING WILL BRING A 30% CHANCE FOR SNOW SHOWERS
TEMPORARILY REDUCING CIGS/VIS INTO THE MVFR OR LOWER CATEGORY
DURING THE 18-01Z TIMEFRAME. GENERAL NORTHWEST WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY TODAY.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR UTZ113-
116-118-119.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR UTZ117.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR
UTZ120>122-126-127-129-130.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR UTZ124-125-
128.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...MAHAN
AVIATION...SEAMAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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