525
FXUS65 KSLC 132226
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
326 PM MST TUE JAN 13 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- AN INVERSION WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS UTAH VALLEYS INTO NEXT
WEEK, RESULTING IN STAGNANT AIR WITH DECREASING AIR QUALITY AND
VISIBILITY, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT.
DISCUSSION
BROAD HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED OVER THE GREAT BASIN
THIS AFTERNOON. A TROUGH ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE RIDGE MOVING
INTO THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES BROUGHT AN INCREASE IN HIGH CLOUDS
OVERNIGHT, AND THESE CLOUDS ARE FINALLY STARTING TO ERODE. THE
TROUGH ALSO BROUGHT A MODEST INCREASE IN NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT THAT
WILL RELAX OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW.
TEMPERATURES ARE ON THE MILD SIDE FOR MUCH OF THE AREA, WITH THE
MAJOR EXCEPTION BEING THE INVERSION PRONE VALLEYS, INCLUDING THE
WASATCH FRONT, WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE NEAR NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF
YEAR. IN THE STAGNANT AIRMASS, PARTICULATES CONTINUE TO
ACCUMULATE, RESULTING IN DECREASING VISIBILITY AND AIR QUALITY,
CURRENTLY MOST EVIDENT IN THE SALT LAKE VALLEY.
ANOTHER TROUGH WILL MOVE OVER THE FRONT SIDE OF THE RIDGE LATE
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, AND THE COLD AIR FROM THIS SYSTEM IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE A BIT FARTHER WEST THAN WITH THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM.
THIS WILL ACT TO COOL THE AIRMASS ALOFT SOMEWHAT, BRINGING LESS
MILD TEMPERATURES FOR THE HIGH ELEVATIONS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF
ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE, HOWEVER, CONTINUES TO INDICATE THAT THOUGH THIS
COULD WEAKEN VALLEY INVERSIONS, IT WILL NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH TO
MIX THEM OUT.
BEHIND THAT SYSTEM, THE GREAT BASIN RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO RECENTER
ITSELF A BIT FARTHER WEST. THIS WILL ACT TO LIMIT WARMING ALOFT,
BUT IN LIGHT FLOW THE VALLEY INVERSIONS WILL CONTINUE TO PERSIST.
THE NEXT CHANCE OF SEEING MIXING OCCURS LATE NEXT WEEK WITH
GUIDANCE CONTINUING TO INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A STORM SYSTEM
TO IMPACT THE AREA. THIS FAR OUT, THOUGH, CONFIDENCE IN ANY
SCENARIO REMAINS LOW.
AVIATION...KSLC
HAZE AND FOG, PERHAPS AS LOW AS 2SM AT POINTS
TOMORROW MORNING, WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE ENTIRETY OF THE TAF
PERIOD. MVFR VSBYS ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WHOLE PERIOD
WITH NOTABLY LOW CHANCES OF IMPROVING TO VFR. WINDS BEGIN TO CLOCK
OUT OF THE NORTHWEST ONCE AGAIN TOMORROW AROUND 19Z.
REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING
MVFR VSBYS FOR HAZE AND
PERHAPS FOG WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE TAF PERIOD AT
KSVR. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A CHANCE THAT FOG DEVELOPS IN THE
MORNING AT KLGU. OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ACROSS ALL
OTHER SITES NOT MENTIONED.
SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
PUBLIC...TRAPHAGAN
AVIATION...WORSTER
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page