916
FXUS65 KSLC 100354
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
954 PM MDT TUE JUN 9 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOP AREAWIDE ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON,
STRONGEST ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN UTAH.
- VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL RESULT IN A PERIOD OF
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST AND EAST-
CENTRAL UTAH ON WEDNESDAY.
- ENHANCED AFTERNOON BREEZES AND CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS MAY LEAD
TO PERIODS OF ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
A DRY COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO DIG SOUTHWARD THROUGH
THE REGION TODAY, WITH GUSTY WINDS BEING OBSERVED THIS EVENING
ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH.
WINDS WILL TAPER OVERNIGHT AREAWIDE AS THE ASSOCIATED SHORTWAVE
EJECTS EASTWARD.
CALMER WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE SHORT LIVED AS A TRAILING
SHORTWAVE TROUGH EJECTS OFF THE BACK SIDE OF A PARENT CUTOFF LOW
DIGGING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY, YIELDING STRONG
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. AS SUCH, GUSTY NORTHWESTERLY
WINDS DEVELOP AREAWIDE BY LATE MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON,
WITH STRONGEST GUSTS EXPECTED ACROSS EAST- CENTRAL UTAH AND THE
UINTA BASIN AND THE WEST DESERT. H7 WINDS ACROSS THESE AREAS PEAK
AROUND 40-45 KNOTS LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING, WITH HIGHEST
PROBABILITY FOR GUSTS TO EXCEED 30 MPH OCCURRING LATE WEDNESDAY
INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AS AS RESULT. WITH VERY DRY CONDITIONS
STILL IN PLACE ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST UTAH ON
WEDNESDAY, A PERIOD OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IS
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN. SEE THE FIRE WEATHER DISCUSSION
BELOW FOR MORE DATAILS. WINDS QUICKLY TAPER OFF ACROSS THE REGION
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THURSDAY MORNING.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK, UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING REMAIN
WEDGED BETWEEN LONGWAVE TROUGHING OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND
GREAT LAKES REGION AND A STRONG RIDGE OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
COAST. THIS PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN A GENERALLY ZONAL FLOW THROUGH
THE WEEKEND, THOUGH WEAK EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES MAY BRING ELEVATED
AFTERNOON WINDS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, RESULTING IN AREAS OF
ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS GIVEN
CONTINUED CRITICALLY LOW RH VALUES.
LOOKING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, THE AXIS OF THE AFOREMENTIONED RIDGE
GRADUALLY SHIFTS EASTWARD, YIELDING WARMING TEMPERATURES IN
ADDITION TO CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
FORECAST PERIOD. HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK AROUND MID-NEXT WEEK
AROUND 5 DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES.
AVIATION...KSLC
VFR CONDITIONS UNDER PREDOMINANTLY CLEAR SKIES
ARE EXPECTED OVER THE KSLC TERMINAL THROUGH THE VALID FORECAST
PERIOD. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE AIRFIELD
THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE WINDS BECOME LIGHT OUT OF THE
SOUTH AFTER 09-10Z. THERE IS AROUND A 15% CHANCE THAT WINDS REMAIN
NORTH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD, AND AROUND A 30-40% CHANCE THAT
LIGHT AND VARIABLE FLOW OF 5 KNOTS OR LESS OCCURS AFTER 09Z. NORTH
WINDS RESUME MID-MORNING ON WEDNESDAY.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
VFR CONDITIONS UNDER
PREDOMINANTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS ALL TERMINALS THROUGH
THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD, WITH EXISTING CLOUD COVER DECREASE AFTER
SUNSET. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH
THROUGH AROUND 08Z BEFORE WEAKENING, WITH DRAINAGE WINDS PREVAILING
AFTER 09-10Z. BREEZY WESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO RESUME MID-
MORNING TOMORROW ACROSS A MAJORITY OF THE AREA, WITH PEAK GUSTS
EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 25-30 KTS, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST WYOMING
AND THE UINTA BASIN.
FIRE WEATHER
A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH NORTHERN UTAH AND
WILL STALL AND CONTINUE TO WEAKEN DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
AHEAD OF THIS FRONT, GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST FOR THE
SOUTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE STATE, COMBINING WITH THE CONTINUED
VERY DRY CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. SOME SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTHERN UTAH INTO THE EARLY
EVENING, PARTICULARLY NEAR THE UTAH/IDAHO BORDER, AND ANY STORMS
THAT DEVELOP WITH HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE GUSTY AND ERRATIC
WINDS. AS THE TROUGH MOVES EAST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY, WINDS WILL
DECREASE SOME OVER WESTERN UTAH, BUT WINDS WILL BE BREEZY ENOUGH
TO KEEP CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS GOING OVER SOUTHEAST
UTAH. CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE QUITE DRY ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK, BUT WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
ON THE LIGHT SIDE THROUGH SATURDAY. ANOTHER NORTHERN UTAH COLD
FRONT ON SUNDAY COULD BRING A RETURN TO STRONGER WINDS, BRINGING
THE POTENTIAL FOR AREAS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ484-489-493-
494-496-498.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...WHITLAM
AVIATION...WEBBER
FIRE WEATHER...TRAPHAGAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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