Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Salt Lake City, UT
Issued by NWS Salt Lake City, UT
204 FXUS65 KSLC 082133 AFDSLC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 333 PM MDT Tue Apr 8 2025 .SYNOPSIS...Temperatures will warm each day through Friday as high pressure builds into, and slides east of, southwest Wyoming and Utah. A storm system will bring an increase in wind speeds late in the week into the weekend. Relatively light precipitation is likely as the associated cold front pushes through Saturday into Sunday. && .SHORT TERM (Through 12Z/6AM Thursday)...A grazing shortwave trough brought a weak cold front through southwest Wyoming and roughly the northern quarter of Utah. That boundary brought a curb to a warming trend, with temperatures roughly 5-10F warmer than normal. The front brought limited moisture and forcing, with the southern extent of the system bringing isolated showers, primarily to higher terrain portions of the far northern Wasatch and Bear River Range. The other change has been with an increase in west to northwest winds for many of these locations, with gusts exceeding 30 mph for not only much of the northern mountains, but for the western Uinta Basin and Uinta County, Wyoming. There is essentially zonal flow for southwest Wyoming and Utah, with a tight pressure gradient in the north, allowing those enhanced winds. There is good agreement between models and ensembles on that flow transitioning to northwest as a ridge amplifies upstream. Conditions will be relatively similar for Wednesday, with the main differences of fewer clouds, slightly lighter winds in the north, and slightly warmer temperatures throughout southwest Wyoming and Utah. .LONG TERM (After 12Z/6AM Thursday)...Temperatures will warm further Thursday, as a ridge axis will track across southwest Wyoming and Utah. Valley high temperatures will generally be right around 80F, some 20F warmer than normal. The warmest portions of Utah will be around Lake Powell and lower Washington County, with highs well into the 80s and low 90s. The ridge axis will slide downstream Friday. As a longwave trough tracks into the PacNW, southwest flow will increase some, especially for southwest Utah. Clouds will increase, but temperatures will be slightly warmer than Thursday. Highs are generally 5F or less of records for that date. A peak in winds will come Saturday as that trough digs into the western U.S. The National Blend of Models brings wind gusts of roughly 30-45 mph for Saturday afternoon from roughly Juab County, east to the western Uinta Basin and southward. A cold front will track in from the northwest Saturday afternoon or evening, with valley rain and mountain snow, primarily for southwest Wyoming and northern Utah through much of Sunday. The storm system will not bring much precipitation, but it will come with much cooler conditions. Temperatures will go from roughly 15-20F warmer than normal Saturday to 5-10F cooler than normal Sunday. && .AVIATION...KSLC...Gusty north winds at the terminal are expected to diminish after 00z, with a typical diurnal windshift to southeast around 03-04z. Mid-to-high level cloud cover will continue through this evening, before clearing early Wednesday morning as high pressure builds over the region. .REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...VFR conditions to prevail across the forecast area through the TAF period. Gusty westerly winds are expected to diminish after 00z. Any lingering mid-to-high level cloud coverage will clear this evening into Wednesday morning as high pressure builds over the region. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...None. WY...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Wilson LONG TERM...Wilson AVIATION...Verzella For more information from NOAA`s National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity