335
FXUS65 KSLC 010430
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
1030 PM MDT THU APR 30 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ENHANCED EASTERLY CANYON WINDS AROUND 30-40 MPH WILL DEVELOP
ALONG THE NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.
- FREEZE WARNINGS ARE STILL IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT
ACROSS SEVERAL UTAH VALLEYS.
- AFTER A WARM SATURDAY, WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL, SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN
UTAH SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MORE ACTIVE WEATHER WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MIDWEEK.
DISCUSSION
RECENT MESOANALYSIS SHOWS A VERY ZONALLY-ORIENTED
SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS CURRENTLY PUSHING INTO NORTHERN UTAH, WITH
WEAK ONGOING SHOWERS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BEHIND IT. THIS
SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL MID-LEVEL PATTERN IS RESULTING IN INCREASING
EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH/SOUTHWEST WYOMING WITH THE
THREAT OF GUSTY CANYON WINDS AROUND 30-40 MPH OVERNIGHT ALONG THE
NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT. THE HREF MAX, WHICH SHOWS A REASONABLE
WORST-CASE SCENARIO, TOPS OUT AROUND 45 MPH NEAR CANYON MOUTHS,
THOUGH PRONE CANYONS, SUCH AS WEBER CANYON, COULD BRIEFLY EXCEED
THIS VALUE. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE HOURS, WITH WINDS LIKELY PEAKING JUST AFTER SUNRISE BEFORE
THAT GRADIENT RELAXES.
ANOTHER THREAT OVERNIGHT IS FREEZING TEMPERATURES, SIMILAR TO MANY
NIGHTS WE'VE SEEN AS OF LATE. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN
CREEPING UPWARDS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS, THIS FREEZE THREAT
STILL REMAINS ACROSS VARIOUS COLDER VALLEYS (CACHE, WESTERN UINTA
BASIN, SANPETE, SEVIER VALLEYS, AND PORTIONS OF SW-UT) AS
TEMPERATURES DIP INTO THE UPPER-20S AND LOW-30S. TEMPERATURES WILL
BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER BY TOMORROW NIGHT, BUT THE THREAT STILL EXISTS
ACROSS MANY OF THESE VALLEYS.
FRIDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE A BIT DRIER AS HIGH PRESSURE STARTS TO
PUSH INTO THE REGION, THOUGH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS AS THAT SHORTWAVE TROUGH FINALLY PASSES THROUGH.
SATURDAY WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL AND SUNNY SPRING DAY AS TEMPERATURES
RISE INTO THE LOW- TO MID-70S ACROSS MANY VALLEYS (MID-80S DOWN IN
ST. GEORGE).
HIGH PRESSURE WILL NOT LAST LONG, HOWEVER, AS A STRONG CLOSED LOW
DEVELOPS OFF THE WEST COAST THIS WEEKEND. WHILE THERE IS GOOD
MODEL AGREEMENT WITH ITS TRACK, TAKING IT JUST TO OUR SOUTH EARLY
NEXT WEEK, THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE TIMING UNCERTAINTY. AROUND
60% OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS FAVOR A SLOWER-MOVING LOW THAT MOVES
THROUGH MID-WEEK, WITH THE REMAINING 40% QUITE A BIT QUICKER.
DESPITE THESE UNCERTAINTIES, MODELS HAVE TRENDED TOWARDS MOISTURE
ARRIVING FROM THE SOUTHWEST AS EARLY AS SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING,
LIKELY PRODUCING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS, PARTICULARLY
IF THAT MOISTURE ARRIVES DURING PEAK DAYTIME HEATING. DETAILS GET
A BIT MORE FUZZY BEYOND SUNDAY REGARDING VARIOUS SHORTWAVES AND
THE PROGRESSION OF THE CLOSED LOW, BUT IT APPEARS THAT MORE ACTIVE
WEATHER WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM
ISN'T VERY COLD EITHER, WITH SNOW LEVELS REMAINING NEAR 8000FT IN
SOUTHERN UTAH AND 9000FT ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH. TEMPERATURES WILL
REMAIN NEAR NORMAL.
AVIATION
KSLC..THE SLC TERMINAL WILL SEE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH
THE NIGHT WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. LIGHT WINDS WILL BECOME
PREVAILING SOUTHERLY BY ABOUT 06Z.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
THE AIRSPACE WILL SEE VFR
CONDITIONS THROUGH THE NIGHT WITH JUST SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS AND
GENERALLY LIGHT AND TERRAIN DRIVEN WINDS. CUMULUS BUILDUPS OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHERN UTAH TOMORROW HAVE A LOW CHANCE OF
CAUSING SOME MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...FREEZE WARNING UNTIL 9 AM MDT FRIDAY FOR UTZ107-114-116-118-119-
122.
FREEZE WARNING FROM 8 PM FRIDAY TO 9 AM MDT SATURDAY FOR UTZ116-
118-119-122.
WY...NONE.
CUNNINGHAM/TRAPHAGAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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