787
FXUS65 KSLC 010455
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
955 PM MST SAT FEB 28 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER NORTHERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST
WYOMING THROUGH SUNDAY, WITH VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW
BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD DURING THE DAY MONDAY AS AN UPPER LOW
CROSSES THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
- AFTER A BREAK IN THE ACTION LATE TUESDAY INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY, A
COLDER SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY,
BRINGING SOME ADDITIONAL MOUNTAIN SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AS WELL AS
THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT VALLEY SNOW.
DISCUSSION
HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN
MEXICO THIS EVENING, PUTTING UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING UNDER A
ROUGHLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. THIS IS ALLOWING MOISTURE AND WEAK
INSTABILITY TO ADVECT INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA FROM A
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING THE PACIFIC COAST. THIS HAS
ALLOWED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA, WITH SNOW LEVELS PRIMARILY IN THE 8,000
FOOT TO 9,000 FOOT RANGE OWING TO THE MILD AIRMASS IN PLACE.
PERIODS OF SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE PACIFIC
SYSTEM CONTINUES EAST AND THE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY CONTINUE TO
MOVE IN.
GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE PACIFIC LOW WILL OPEN UP
AND MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING DURING THE DAY
MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING. WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM'S COLD
FRONT, VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD OVER
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA WITH A SMALL DROP IN SNOW LEVELS.
SNOW WILL STILL BE CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS, LIMITING ASSOCIATED
TRAVEL IMPACTS TO THOSE AREAS. BEHIND THE FRONT, INSTABILITY
SHOWERS WILL LINGER THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING IN NORTHWEST FLOW AS
THE SYSTEM EXITS.
HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BRIEFLY MOVE BACK IN LATE TUESDAY
INTO WEDNESDAY, BUT A COLDER PACIFIC NORTHWEST STORM SYSTEM IS ON
TRACK TO IMPACT THE AREA LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THE
TEMPERATURES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM WILL BE MORE TYPICAL FOR
THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND MAY SEEM COLD GIVEN THE VERY MILD WEATHER
AS OF LATE. THESE TEMPERATURES ARE COLD ENOUGH TO BRING A LOW
CHANCE OF SNOW TO THE VALLEYS OF NORTHERN UTAH, THOUGH THE CHANCE
OF ACCUMULATING SNOW STILL LOOKS TO BE LESS THAN TEN PERCENT.
OVERALL, GUIDANCE IS INDICATING THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL BE LESS
ORGANIZED AND HAVE NOTICEABLY LESS MOISTURE ACCOMPANYING IT
COMPARED TO THE MONDAY LOW, SO WILL NEED TO KEEP EXPECTATIONS IN
CHECK.
BEHIND THAT LOW, THE MAJORITY OF GUIDANCE SHOWS A RELATIVELY
ACTIVE PATTERN CONTINUING INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND, THOUGH WITH A
LARGE AMOUNT OF DISAGREEMENT REGARDING ANY OF THE DETAILS.
AVIATION...KSLC
SPORADIC SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY
MORNING, WHICH COULD BRIEFLY LOWER CIGS BELOW 6KFT. ANOTHER ROUND OF
SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT, WITH SUNDAY AFTERNOON SEEING
A RELATIVE LULL IN PRECIPITATION, THOUGH CHANCES ARE NON-ZERO. WINDS
ARE LARGELY EXPECTED TO REMAIN A LIGHT SOUTHERLY THROUGH THE NIGHT,
TRANSITIONING TO NORTHWEST AROUND 19-20Z SUNDAY. HOWEVER, NEARBY
SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY BRING PERIODS OF VARIABLE WINDS. VFR
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THROUGH THE VALID TAF PERIOD.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
SPORADIC SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING AND AGAIN SUNDAY
NIGHT, WITH SHOWER COVERAGE BEING MUCH MORE ISOLATED SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. BRIEFLY MVFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SHOWERS,
ESPECIALLY AT KHCR AND KEVW, OTHERWISE PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED AT MOST TERMINALS. WINDS WILL GENERALLY SEE TYPICAL
DIURNAL TRENDS.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...TRAPHAGAN
AVIATION...CHENG
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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