413
FXUS65 KSLC 150328
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
928 PM MDT SAT MAR 14 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A COLD FRONT IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT WITH STRONG
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS RESULTING. THESE WINDS WILL BE STRONGEST ON
THE LEESIDE OF TERRAIN AS A RESULT OF DOWNSLOPING. WINDS WEAKEN
TOMORROW.
- HISTORICALLY WARM WEATHER WILL DEVELOP NEXT WEEK AS A RIDGE
BUILDS ACROSS THE WEST.
DISCUSSION
A COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH NORTHERN
UTAH WITH STRONG WESTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND EVEN
STRONGER NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS
HAVE, AND WILL REMAIN, STRONGEST ALONG THE RIDGELINES OF THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS, THE WESTERN UINTA BASIN, AND ALONG
AND WEST OF SR10 IN CASTLE COUNTRY. PEAK WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE
AREA HAVE PRIMARILY BEEN IN THE 30S AND 40S ACROSS VALLEY
LOCATIONS AND 60S AND SOME 70S ACROSS THE TERRAIN AND ON THE
DOWNSLOPING LEESIDE OF TERRAIN IN THE WESTERN UINTA BASIN AND
CASTLE COUNTRY. WINDS ACROSS THE WASATCH FRONT HAVE BEEN
UNDER PERFORMING A BIT, SO THINKING THAT THEY WILL STAY AT OR
BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS FOR MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING.
THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT WITH STRONG GAP WINDS DEVELOPING EARLY SUNDAY
MORNING ACROSS LOWER WASHINGTON COUNTY WITH THE HIGHEST WIND
GUSTS APPROACHING 60 MPH WILL BE ALONG I-15 NEAR PINTURA AND
PORTIONS OF THE BLACK ROCK CANYON AREA.
PRECIPITATION HAS ONLY BEEN SPOTTY SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE HIGHEST
TERRAIN WITH QPF TOTALS <0.1". THESE SHOWERS WILL QUICKLY
DISSIPATE AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THE FRONT USHERS IN A DRIER AIRMASS. WINDS
WILL WEAKEN FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT INTO
TOMORROW MORNING, BUT THEY WILL REMAIN ELEVATED ACROSS THE CENTRAL
MOUNTAINS THROUGH NOON BEFORE THEY START TO DISSIPATE.
TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES COOLER THAN NORMAL
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH WITH NEAR NORMAL
CONDITIONS FURTHER SOUTH, WHICH IS MORE REMOVED FROM THE COLDEST
AIR ALOFT. THIS WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS TEMPERATURES DRASTICALLY
START TO WARM NEXT WEEK AS A HIGHLY ANOMALOUS RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS
THE WEST. BY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY A 595 DM RIDGE WILL BE
CENTERED OVER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. THIS IS TYPICALLY THE TYPE OF
RIDGING WE SEE IN THE MIDST OF SUMMER, RATHER THAN THE MIDDLE OF
MARCH. OUR EARLIEST 80 DEGREE ON RECORD HAS A 75% CHANCE OF
OCCURRING ON THURSDAY WHICH WOULD BREAK THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF
EARLIEST 80 DEGREE DAY BY 12 DAYS (PREVIOUS RECORD BEING MARCH
31ST). BUT THERE IS ALSO A 70% CHANCE THAT WE ECLIPSE 80 ON FRIDAY
AND SATURDAY WITH A 25% CHANCE OF GETTING AS WARM AS 85 DEGREES.
THIS WOULD BEAT THE PREVIOUS ALL-TIME RECORD HIGH FOR MARCH OF 80
DEGREES. THIS HEAT LOOKS TO LAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND
BEFORE SOME COOLER AIR STARTS TO MOVE INTO THE REGION AS THIS
RIDGE STARTS TO FLATTEN WITH A TROUGH MOVING INTO THE PNW.
AVIATION...KSLC
GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS, UP TO 35KTS, WILL
GRADUALLY DECREASE THROUGH 06-08Z. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND THROUGH MUCH OF
SUNDAY.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF UTAH AND UINTA COUNTY, WY
THROUGH ABOUT 06-08Z. FOR TERMINALS ACROSS EASTERN AND SOUTHERN
UTAH, STRONG, NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 3 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR UTZ101-106.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR UTZ102>105-107-109-
121.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR UTZ110.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR UTZ112>114-117-120.
WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON MDT SUNDAY FOR
UTZ123.
WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 AM MDT SUNDAY FOR
UTZ128-129.
WY...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT TONIGHT FOR WYZ021.
PUBLIC...MAHAN
AVIATION...KRUSE
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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