547
FXUS65 KSLC 281001
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
301 AM MST WED JAN 28 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A GRAZING SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO BRING MODEST, MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL TO OUR NORTHERN UT MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON.
- THERE IS A CHANCE (30-50%) OF AT LEAST 0.1" OF SNOWFALL FOR
LOCATIONS ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT NORTH OF I-80 AND THE CACHE VALLEY
LATER THIS AFTERNOON.
- FOR THE SALT LAKE VALLEY, MOST WILL SEE FLURRIES IN THE LATE
AFTERNOON WITH BENCHES HAVING SIMILAR CHANCES OF 0.1" OF SNOW (20-
40%).
- OTHERWISE, DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK AT A
MINIMUM.
DISCUSSION
RIDGING GRADUALLY ERODES TODAY WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A
GRAZING SHORTWAVE TROUGH ACROSS NORTHERN UT. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS TROUGH WILL PASS THROUGH N UT AND SW WY THIS AFTERNOON,
CLOCKING WINDS TO NNW. WHILE MOISTURE QUALITY LEAVES MUCH TO BE
DESIRED, A BETTER GRASP OF OROGRAPHIC ASCENT WITHIN SHORT RANGE
GUIDANCE HAS RESULTED IN SNOWFALL TOTALS INCREASING SOMEWHAT ACROSS
HIGHER TERRAIN OF N UT. WHILE TOTALS AREN'T EXCEPTIONAL SITTING
AROUND 1-3" ACROSS OUR NORTHERN UT MOUNTAINS, THIS IS AT LEAST
SOMETHING GIVEN HOW DRY IT HAS BEEN LATELY. SOME LOCALLY HIGHER
AMOUNTS UP TO 4-5" ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE BEAR RIVER RANGE AS WELL
(40% CHANCE OF 4" OR GREATER ALONG HIGHER ELEVATION LOCATIONS).
ADDITIONALLY, LIGHT VALLEY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AREN'T ENTIRELY OUT OF
THE QUESTION, PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT, CACHE
VALLEY, AND PERHAPS EVEN THE EAST BENCH OF THE SALT LAKE VALLEY.
THERE IS ROUGHLY A 30-50% CHANCE FOR "MEASURABLE" SNOWFALL (>0.1")
ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT NORTH OF I-80 AND THE CACHE VALLEY. ALONG
THE EAST BENCH WITHIN THE SALT LAKE VALLEY, THERE IS A ROUGHLY 20-
40% CHANCE OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL (>0.1"). MOST OF THE VALLEY,
HOWEVER, MAY SEE SOME FLURRIES IN THE AFTERNOON WHICH AREN'T
EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE A WHOLE LOT GIVEN PRECEDING WARM SURFACE
TEMPERATURES.
FOLLOWING THIS SYSTEM, THE RIDGE WILL ONCE AGAIN STRENGTHEN AGAINST
OUR WILL BRINGING YET ANOTHER EXTENDED DRY PERIOD WITH UNSEASONABLY
WARM TEMPERATURES. AS WE APPROACH THE WEEKEND, TEMPERATURES WILL RUN
AROUND 10-15 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE WITH AREAS ALONG THE WASATCH
FRONT PERHAPS SEEING TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S DEVELOP AS EARLY AS
SATURDAY. SOME LONG RANGE ENSEMBLES INDICATE SOME RELIEF AROUND THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, THOUGH GIVEN THE DISTANCE TIL THEN, NOT A WHOLE
LOT OF CERTAINTY EXISTS REGARDING THOSE SOLUTIONS.
AVIATION...KSLC
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST FOR THE KSLC
TERMINAL THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. INCREASING CLOUDS WILL BRING
LOWERING CIGS THROUGH THE DAY, REACHING NEAR 7-8KFT BEHIND A COLD
FRONT WHICH WILL ARRIVE NEAR OR SHORTLY BEFORE 18Z. THERE IS A 30%
CHANCE OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION BRIEFLY FILLING IN OVER THE TERMINAL,
BETWEEN 19-00Z. THIS WOULD MAINLY BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW OR A
RAIN/SNOW MIX, WITH A 20% CHANCE OF BRIEFLY REACHING INTO THE MVFR
CATEGORY. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO NORTHWEST WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE
FRONT, WITH A SHIFT BACK TO LIGHT SOUTH AFTER 03-04Z BUT MAY BE
VARIABLE AT TIMES THROUGH THE NIGHT.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST
FOR THE ENTIRE AIRSPACE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. INCREASING CLOUDS
WILL BRING LOWERING CIGS THROUGH THE DAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE
FROM NORTHWEST UTAH AROUND 14Z THIS MORNING TO SOUTHEAST UTAH BY
EARLY THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL FILL IN ACROSS MAINLY
NORTHERN UTAH BEHIND THE FRONT, MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF SNOW BUT MAY
BE OCCASIONALLY RAIN/SNOW MIX IN SOME VALLEY LOCALES. LOCAL MVFR TO
BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER/NEAR NORTHERN TERMINALS,
MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. MOUNTAIN TOP OBSCURATIONS CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH DURING THE AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY
EVENING TIMEFRAME.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...WORSTER
AVIATION...CHENG
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
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