537
FXUS65 KSLC 171958
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
158 PM MDT WED JUN 17 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HOT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY BEFORE
TEMPERATURES MODERATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. CONDITIONS REMAIN DRY
INTO NEXT WEEK.
- AREAS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN UTAH TODAY DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE VERY
DRY CONDITIONS AND BREEZY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS.
- ANOTHER ROUND OF GUSTY WINDS UP TO 30-40 MPH COMBINED WITH VERY
DRY RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL BRING THE THREAT OF CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO WESTERN UTAH ON FRIDAY, POTENTIALLY
INTO SATURDAY.
DISCUSSION
OUR REGION REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A RIDGE
CENTERED TO OUR WEST AND LONGWAVE TROUGHING EAST OF THE ROCKIES.
THIS HAS YIELDED INCREASED NORTHWEST FLOW ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN
PORTIONS OF UTAH, AND WHEN COMBINED WITH A VERY DRY AIRMASS IN
PLACE, WE CAN EXPECT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE
THROUGH THIS EVENING ACROSS THE AREA. WARMER, WESTERLY FLOW ACROSS
SOUTHERN UTAH WILL YIELD QUITE HOT CONDITIONS ESPECIALLY ACROSS
LOWER WASHINGTON COUNTY AND LAKE POWELL, WITH TEMPERATURES TOPPING
OUT AROUND 105. WIDESPREAD MODERATE AND LOCALLY MAJOR HEATRISK WILL
RESULT FROM THIS HEAT ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH, SO THOSE SENSITIVE TO
HEAT SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS.
THE AFOREMENTIONED RIDGE WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EASTWARD OVERHEAD ON
THURSDAY, RESULTING IN LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. HOWEVER,
SOME BREEZY WINDS MAY CONTINUE ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS, LEADING TO ELEVATED TO MORE LOCALLY CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
THE BRIEF BREAK IN WIDESPREAD CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
WILL BE SHORT LIVES AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH DEEPENING ACROSS THE
WEST COAST ON FRIDAY BRINGS INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT.
THIS PATTERN WILL BRING VERY HOT CONDITIONS AREAWIDE, ESPECIALLY
ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN VALLEY LOCATIONS WHERE HIGHS WILL
APPROACH 100 DEGREES. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS 30-40 MPH DEVELOP
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND WEST-CENTRAL
UTAH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON, PEAKING DURING THE EVENING HOURS.
SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN OVERNIGHT HUMIDITY RECOVERIES IS EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING ACROSS THE REGION, THOUGH REMAIN
QUITE POOR ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN UTAH. THE GUSTY
WIND THREAT SHIFTS EASTWARD AND EASES SLIGHTLY ON SATURDAY AS THE
SHORTWAVE FLATTENS AND FLOW ALOFT BECOMES MORE ZONAL, THOUGH AREAS
OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN UTAH WHERE FUELS ARE CRITICAL.
LOOKING INTO NEXT WEEK, RIDGING BECOMES THE DOMINANT FEATURE
ACROSS THE REGION, RESULTING IN A VERY DRY AND HOT AIRMASS ACROSS
THE REGION. AS SUCH, EXPECT A GRADUAL WARMING TREND THROUGH AT
LEAST MID-WEEK WITH VERY LOW CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ACROSS UTAH
AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING.
AVIATION...KSLC
INACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES. VFR
CONDITIONS PREVAIL WITH SKIES REMAINING CLEAR TO MOSTLY CLEAR.
EXPECT SLIGHTLY DELAYED DIURNAL WIND SHIFT BACK SE AROUND 07-10Z
THU, BUT BACK NW AROUND 14-16Z THEREAFTER. SOME MODEST GUSTS UP TO
AROUND 20 KTS ANTICIPATED DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
MODESTLY BREEZY CONDITIONS
WITH GUSTS 20-30 KTS AT MANY AREA TERMINALS WEDNESDAY, BUT WEATHER
REMAINS BENIGN OTHERWISE WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING AND SKIES
CLEAR TO MOSTLY CLEAR. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO RELAX THROUGH THE
EVENING, WITH DIRECTIONS CHANGING NEAR NORMAL DIURNAL TIMES.
FIRE WEATHER
THE STATE REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A STRONG
RIDGE TO OUR WEST AND LONGWAVE TROUGHING ACROSS THE EASTERN US,
ALLOWING FOR ENHANCED NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT TODAY. AS SUCH,
INCREASED WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN
UTAH WITH CONTINUED VERY LOW RH. THE RIDGE SHIFTS OVERHEAD
THURSDAY, YIELDING LIGHTER WINDS ACROSS THE REGION AND CONTINUED
DRY CONDITIONS, LIMITING FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. THE RIDGE SHIFTS
EASTWARD ON FRIDAY; CONCURRENTLY, A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BEGINS TO
DEEPEN ACROSS THE WEST COAST, INTRODUCING INCREASED SOUTHWESTERLY
WINDS AND MID-LEVEL MOISTURE ESPECIALLY ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF
THE STATE. THIS PATTERN MAY YIELD AREAS OF CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS THROUGH SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES REMAIN VERY POOR
ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH THROUGH AT LEAST THE
WEEKEND GIVEN A VERY DRY AIRMASS IN PLACE.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE FRIDAY
NIGHT FOR UTZ492-495.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM MDT THIS EVENING FOR UTZ482-484-488-
489-493-494-496-498.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING
FOR UTZ497.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...WHITLAM
AVIATION...WARTHEN
FIRE WEATHER...WHITLAM
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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