131
FXUS65 KSLC 131813
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
1213 PM MDT MON APR 13 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
- FREEZING CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR ACROSS EASTERN BOX ELDER COUNTY
AND SEVERAL CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VALLEY LOCATIONS TONIGHT AND
AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.
- A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BRING SNOW TO VALLEY FLOORS ACROSS
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH THURSDAY EVENING INTO FRIDAY MORNING.
ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL OCCUR ACROSS MOST LOCATIONS NORTH OF
ABOUT I-70 AND MAY IMPACT THE FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE.
- VERY COLD TEMPERATURES IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT WILL BRING
FREEZING CONDITIONS TO MOST UTAH VALLEYS EXCLUDING LOWER
WASHINGTON COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITIES ALONG THE VIRGIN RIVER
NEAR ZION NATIONAL PARK THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING AND
AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.
DISCUSSION
AN UPPER LEVEL LOW NEAR LA WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT
EASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY. THIS LOW WILL BE CENTERED NEAR THE ST.
GEORGE AREA BY EVENING AND THEN CONTINUE TO EJECT INTO THE CENTRAL
ROCKIES THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. A BAND OF HEAVIER SNOW (WITH
RATES IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH PER HOUR) ON THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF
THIS UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL IMPACT THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS IN
PARTICULAR AFTER 9 PM TONIGHT THROUGH AT LEAST DAWN TUESDAY. SNOW
WILL SHIFT TOWARD A MORE SHOWERY MODE LATER TUESDAY MORNING AND
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST PART OF TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES CONTINUE THROUGH 3 PM TUESDAY AND ARE ON
TRACK. NO ADDITIONAL ADVISORIES ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME.
IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM, MULTIPLE VALLEYS WILL SEE FREEZING
TEMPERATURES TONIGHT INCLUDING EASTERN BOX ELDER COUNTY, SOUTHWEST
UTAH, THE SANPETE AND SEVIER VALLEYS, AND EASTERN JUAB AND
MILLARD COUNTIES TONIGHT. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EASTERN BOX ELDER
COUNTY, THE REMAINDER OF THE AREAS WILL SEE EVEN COLDER
TEMPERATURES TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING, WITH THE
ADDITION OF WEST CENTRAL UTAH, CASTLE COUNTRY, THE SAN RAFAEL
SWELL, AND WESTERN CANYONLANDS. FREEZING WARNINGS AND WATCHES ARE
IN EFFECT FOR THESE LOCATIONS (WARNINGS FOR AREAS WITH FREEZES
TONIGHT, WATCHES FOR AREAS THAT WILL ONLY FREEZE TUESDAY NIGHT).
A STRONG, COLD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SHIFT SOUTH AND EAST INTO
THE INTERIOR WEST THURSDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS
NORTHERN UTAH THURSDAY, BRINGING SNOW LEVELS TO VALLEY FLOORS. THE
CURRENT EARLIEST/LATEST ARRIVAL OF SNOW LEVELS TO VALLEY FLOOR IS
2 PM THURSDAY TO 8 PM THURSDAY. EXPECT ANY RAIN TO QUICKLY CHANGE
TO SNOW IN THE WAKE OF THIS COLD FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH. THE
BEST CHANCE FOR SNOW TO ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADS WILL BE DURING
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.
THERE IS AN INCREASING POTENTIAL ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL IMPACT THE
FRIDAY MORNING COMMUTE ACROSS THE WASATCH FRONT. WITH TREES IN
NEARLY ALL NORTHERN VALLEYS WITH NEARLY FULL TO FULL LEAF
CANOPIES, THIS MAY BE A HIGHER IMPACT AT LOWER SNOWFALL RATES. FOR
NOW, THE 25TH/75TH PERCENTILE SNOW TOTALS RANGE FROM 6 TO 12
INCHES FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS, 1 TO 3 INCHES FOR THE WASATCH
FRONT VALLEY FLOOR, LOCALLY UP TO 6 INCHES BENCHES, WITH 2 TO 6
INCHES FOR THE WASATCH BACK. ANOTHER WILDCARD IS WHETHER THERE
WILL BE LAKE ENHANCED SNOWFALL FROM THE GSL. A LOT OF DETAILS TO
BECOME MORE CLEAR AS THIS STORM MOVES FROM THE LONG TERM TO THE
NEAR TERM.
AVIATION...KSLC
THE SLC TERMINAL WILL SEE VFR CONDITIONS
THROUGH THE EVENING. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO THE
NORTHWEST BETWEEN 19Z AND 20Z, MOST LIKELY REMAINING OUT OF THAT
DIRECTION TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW. THERE IS A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF A
PERIOD OF LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OVERNIGHT, AND A 20 PERCENT
CHANCE OF GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY
EVENING DUE TO SHOWERS SOUTH OF THE TERMINAL.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
SOUTHWEST WYOMING AND THE
NORTHERN THIRD OF UTAH ARE EXPECTED TO SEE VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH
THE EVENING, WITH A LOW CHANCE OF GUSTY WINDS FROM SHOWERS TO
SOUTH IMPACTING WIND DIRECTIONS. ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH,
PERIODS OF VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL RESULT IN AREAS OF
MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION AS WELL AS IFR CONDITIONS IN THE AREAS OF
SNOW THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...FREEZE WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM MDT TUESDAY FOR
UTZ103-116-118-119-122.
FREEZE WATCH FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR
UTZ114-115-120-121-130.
FREEZE WARNING FROM 9 PM TUESDAY TO 9 AM MDT WEDNESDAY FOR
UTZ116-118-119-122.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM MDT TUESDAY FOR UTZ117-125.
WY...NONE.
KRUSE/TRAPHAGAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page