Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Salt Lake City, UT
Issued by NWS Salt Lake City, UT
249 FXUS65 KSLC 090939 AFDSLC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 339 AM MDT Wed Apr 9 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 can be expected as the associated cold front pushes through Saturday evening into Sunday. && .SHORT TERM (THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY)...A near-zonal flow pattern remains in place over the forecast area this morning. One final weak disturbance embedded in the flow rippled across Idaho last evening, which will continue to hold temperatures down today. That said, due in part to fewer clouds, expect a slight warmup today. Otherwise, expect drier conditions today with occasional high clouds. Some enhanced winds can be expected once again in the eastern Utah valleys and southwest Wyoming, but should be weaker than yesterday. High pressure will build into the area tonight into Friday before shifting east. Temperatures will see a more significant warming trend tomorrow (5-10 degrees warmer than today) as a result. This would put afternoon max temperatures tomorrow at around 12-20 degrees above normal for this time of year. The NBM has a 65% chance of SLC reaching 80F tomorrow, but due to relatively weak mixing, have opted to maintain the deterministic forecast of 79F even with it being only in the 25th percentile of the NBM membership. .LONG TERM (After 12z/6 AM Friday)...The ridge axis nudges eastward on Friday as a longwave trough begins to dig into the PacNW, though temperatures will remain well above average. Highs will trend upward of 20 degrees above normal, challenging records in some locations. topping out around 80 degrees for most valley locations, and upper- 80s to low-90s for lower Washington county and Lake Powell. Southwest flow increases out ahead of the aforementioned trough, resulting in increased clouds and winds across the region on Friday. The incoming trough breaks down the ridge over the western US by Saturday, with an associated cold front passage late Saturday bringing a marked shift in the pattern for late weekend into early next week. A peak in winds is expected on Saturday afternoon, especially across the central and southern portions of the state, where gusts 30-45 mph are likely. The cold front is expected to track in from the northwest Saturday afternoon/evening. Substantial moisture will be quite lacking with this frontal passage, though some light valley rain and mountain snow showers cannot be ruled out, especially across far northern Utah and southwest Wyoming late Saturday into Sunday. Significantly cooler temperatures are expected behind this frontal passage, with highs on Sunday dipping 5-10 degrees below normal. Ensembles are supportive of transient ridging to yield a slight warming trend early next week, but there are some signals for another trough to bring another round of unsettled weather by mid- week. && .AVIATION...KSLC...Overall, VFR conditions prevail through the TAF period. Mid-to-high level clouds will continue to dissipate through this afternoon as high pressure builds into the region today. Winds remain generally light out of the southeast this morning, with a typical diurnal shift to the northwest after roughly 17-18z. .REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...As high pressure builds across the region today, clearing skies and generally light winds will promote VFR conditions for all regional terminals through the TAF period. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...None. WY...None. && $$ Cheng/Whitlam For more information from NOAA`s National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity