658
FXUS65 KSLC 172300
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
400 PM MST TUE FEB 17 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS DEVELOP LATE THIS EVENING INTO EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING AHEAD OF A FRONTAL PASSAGE, WITH GUSTS 45-55
MPH LIKELY ACROSS THE WEST DESERT AND PORTIONS OF THE WASATCH
FRONT.
- A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION LATE TONIGHT INTO
EARLY WEDNESDAY WILL BRING WIDESPREAD ACCUMULATING SNOW, EVEN TO
VALLEY FLOORS.
- A WEAKER SYSTEM BRINGS CHANCES FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW MAINLY TO
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.
DISCUSSION
CURRENT RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS SCATTERED SHOWERS
ONGOING ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. THESE SHOWERS WILL
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SPOTTY ACCUMULATIONS, MAINLY SNOW OUTSIDE OF
LOWER WASHINGTON COUNTY, THROUGH THIS EVENING. ANY IMPACTS FROM
THESE SHOWERS WILL BE OVERALL MINOR TODAY, MOSTLY CONFINED TO
BRIEF SLUSH-UPS UNDER HEAVIER CELLS OVER MOUNTAIN ROUTES.
WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT PASSAGE
TOMORROW MORNING, WITH INCREASING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT
RESULTING IN STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE WEST DESERT AND
PORTIONS OF THE WASATCH FRONT INCLUDING THE SALT LAKE VALLEY THIS
EVENING. GUSTS 45-55 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFTER ROUGHLY 10
PM TONIGHT, CONTINUING UNTIL THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING. THERE IS A 30% CHANCE FOR GUSTS TO EXCEED 55 MPH AT TIMES
THROUGH THIS PERIOD, MAINLY ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR THROUGH
TOOELE COUNTY. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT DURING THIS PERIOD,
ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
A BAND OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS STILL ON TRACK TO ACCOMPANY THE
COLD FRONT PASSAGE AS IT SWEEPS SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH UTAH AND
SOUTHWEST WYOMING BEGINNING EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS
DROPPING TO AROUND 4000 FEET BEHIND THE FRONT WILL RESULT IN THE
FIRST NOTABLE VALLEY SNOW EVENT SO FAR THIS SEASON, WITH A GENERAL
1-4 INCHES EXPECTED FOR THE WASATCH FRONT WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO
THE AFTERNOON. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS THE
WASATCH FRONT WILL OCCUR WITH THE HEAVY SNOW BAND ACCOMPANYING THE
FRONTAL PASSAGE, WITH CURRENT GUIDANCE SHOWING THE TIMING OF THIS
PASSAGE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 6 AM-11 AM. IMPACTS TO THE MORNING
COMMUTE WILL BE POSSIBLE AS A RESULT.
ACROSS SOUTHWEST UTAH, HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF
THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE AS A STRONG MID- LEVEL JET MOVING INTO
SOUTHWEST UTAH LATE THIS EVENING RESULTS IN INVIGORATING SHOWER
ACTIVITY ACROSS THE AREA. STRONG, MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW DURING THIS
PERIOD (H7 WINDS AROUND 60 KTS) WILL FAVOR OROGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT
ACROSS THE MARKAGUNT PLATEAU (BRIAN HEAD AREA), WITH AN EXTENDED
PERIOD OF SNOW RATES IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES EXPECTED AS A RESULT
UNTIL NORTHWEST FLOW DEVELOPS LATE MORNING BEHIND THE COLD FRONT
PASSAGE. ANOTHER AREA THAT MAY SEE LOCALLY HIGHER SNOW TOTALS FROM
THIS SOUTHWEST FLOW INCLUDES THE BLACK RIDGE CANYON, WHERE HEAVY
SNOW WILL LIKELY IMPACT TRAVEL AT TIMES LATE TONIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
POST-FRONTAL NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP SNOW SHOWERS LINGERING
THROUGH THE EVENING, DIMINISHING AREAWIDE BY EARLY THURSDAY
MORNING. COLD AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL SETTLE IN THURSDAY, THOUGH
DRY CONDITIONS WILL BE BRIEF AS ANOTHER TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO DIG
INTO SOUTHWEST UTAH LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS
EXPECTED TO BRING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR SNOW SHOWERS, MAINLY TO
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH.
AVIATION...KSLC
VFR CONDITIONS AND SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL
PERSIST FOR THE KSLC TERMINAL THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS, WITH
BRIEF PERIODS OF RAIN SHOWERS. GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO COMMENCE AROUND 04Z AND ARE LIKELY TO EXCEED 40KTS INTO THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. FRONTAL TIMING
IS EXPECTED BETWEEN 15-16Z, ACCOMPANIED BY IFR CIGS AND VIS DURING
ITS PASSAGE, WITH A 30% CHANCE OF LIFR.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
SHOWERY ACTIVITY AT THE
NORTHERN TERMINALS IS EXPECTED TO WIND DOWN THIS EVENING AS
SOUTHERLY WINDS PICK UP AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT ARRIVING IN THE
WASATCH AROUND 15Z. THIS FRONT WILL BRING SNOW AND IFR TO LIFR CIGS
AND VIS CONDITIONS FOR MOST AIRPORTS. SOUTHERN TERMINALS WILL SEE
GUSTY WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT, WITH BRIEF PERIODS OF
INTENSE PRECIPITATION AFTER 05Z AND IFR TO MVFR CONDITIONS INTO THE
MORNING HOURS.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR
UTZ101-102-105-115.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM TO 3 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR
UTZ102>106-116.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 AM TO 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ107.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM MST THURSDAY FOR UTZ108-110>113-
117.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ122-127.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 PM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ124-126-128.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ125.
WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM MST WEDNESDAY FOR WYZ021.
PUBLIC...WHITLAM
AVIATION...VERZELLA
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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