505
FXUS65 KSLC 151708
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
1108 AM MDT SUN MAR 15 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- YESTERDAY'S STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE ACROSS THE
AREA AS THE ASSOCIATED TROUGH DIVES SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL
UNITED STATES.
- HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING HISTORICALLY WARM WEATHER FOR MARCH BY
THE MIDDLE OF THE UPCOMING WEEK, WITH TEMPERATURES APPROACHING
30F ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS CONTINUING INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE
UPCOMING WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
A BROAD RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE OFF THE PACIFIC COAST
THIS MORNING. THE TROUGH THAT BROUGHT A STRONG BUT GENERALLY DRY
FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE AREA YESTERDAY AS IT MOVED OVER THE
TOP OF THE RIDGE IS NOW DROPPING SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL UNITED
STATES. UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING ARE IN A MODERATE TO STRONG
NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT IN BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES, WITH A NOTABLE
PRESSURE GRADIENT BEING OBSERVED OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH.
YESTERDAY'S STRONG WINDS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWNWARD THIS MORNING,
WITH PEAK GUSTS IN CASTLE COUNTRY AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL VALLEYS OF
UTAH DROPPING PRIMARILY INTO THE 30-40 MPH RANGE. THUS, HAVE
ALLOWED THOSE WIND ADVISORIES TO EXPIRE. THE ADVISORY FOR AREAS OF
WASHINGTON COUNTY PRONE TO DOWNSLOPE WINDS CONTINUES. WILL NEED TO
EVALUATE THIS HEADLINE FOR POSSIBLE EXTENSION, AS THERE LOOKS TO
BE LITTLE CHANGE IN THE STRENGTH OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT DURING
THE DAY.
IN ADDITION TO WINDS, THE PASSING TROUGH HAS BROUGHT MUCH COLDER
TEMPERATURES TO THE FORECAST AREA. MAXES TODAY ARE FORECAST TO
AVERAGE UP TO 10F BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH AND
SOUTHWEST WYOMING, WITH TEMPERATURES CLOSER TO CLIMO ACROSS
SOUTHERN UTAH. THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST
DAY OF BELOW CLIMO TEMPERATURES FOR SOME TIME AS THE STRONG,
SUMMER-LIKE RIDGE WILL BECOME THE DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE OVER
THE AREA AS IT TRACKS SLOWLY INTO THE DESERT SOUTHWEST DURING THE
WORK WEEK. BY WEDNESDAY, THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF HIGH
TEMPERATURES AVERAGING 25F ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS, CHALLENGING ALL
TIME RECORD HIGHS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH AS WELL AS BRINGING A
HIGH CHANCE OF SEEING THE EARLIEST 80F TEMPERATURE ON RECORD FOR
SALT LAKE CITY. THE RATHER ABNORMALLY HOT WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
INTO AT LEAST THE FIRST PART OF THE UPCOMING WEEKEND BEFORE THE
RIDGE AXIS MOVES FAR ENOUGH EAST TO BRING THE POTENTIAL TO CURB
THE WARMING TREND VIA SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING OVER THE TOP OF THE
RIDGE. FOR THE NEAR FUTURE, HOWEVER, THE WEATHER FOR THE MIDDLE TO
LATTER PART OF THE WEEK WILL BE MORE TYPICAL OF EARLY JUNE DESPITE
THE CALENDAR INDICATING WE'RE IN MID-MARCH.
AVIATION...KSLC
NORTHWEST FLOW AROUND 7-11KTS WILL PERSIST
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, LIKELY TRANSITIONING TO LIGHT AND
SOUTHEASTERLY AROUND 02-03Z. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THOUGH A
BRIEF PERIOD OF SCT-BKN CLOUDS AROUND 5000-6000FT AGL IS POSSIBLE
BETWEEN 06-12Z.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
BREEZY NORTHERLY TO
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ACROSS SOUTHERN/EASTERN UTAH (INCLUDING KSGU,
KBCE, KPUC) WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON,
BECOMING LARGELY TERRAIN-DRIVEN IN VALLEYS DURING THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL, THOUGH A
SHORT PERIOD OF LOWER CIGS MAY RESULT IN MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION
BETWEEN ROUGHLY 06-14Z ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN UTAH/SOUTHWEST
WYOMING.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL NOON MDT TODAY FOR UTZ123.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...TRAPHAGAN
AVIATION...CUNNINGHAM
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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