Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Salt Lake City, UT
Issued by NWS Salt Lake City, UT
397 FXUS65 KSLC 010930 AFDSLC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 330 AM MDT Sat Nov 1 2025 .SYNOPSIS...High pressure will continue to bring calm weather to the CWA with weak inversions likely across northern UT valleys through midweek. A cold front looks to traverse through northern UT late Wednesday night into Thursday morning featuring the return of precipitation for northern UT and southwest WY. && .DISCUSSION... Ridging aloft looks to persist through at least midweek bringing dry and warm conditions to the forecast area. Through Wednesday next week, temperatures will gradually increase a few degrees, eventually running around 5-10 degrees above average each day. On Sunday, a lobe of vorticity will break off from the northern stream and meander off the southwest CA coast. This feature will eject northeast early Monday as it attempts to phase back into the mean flow as a shortwave trough, drawing in upper moisture with it as it traverses toward the area. While precipitation is not expected due to dry low levels, clouds will briefly return to the region before briefly retreating Tuesday afternoon. With high pressure aloft, inversions will continue across our northern valleys over the next few days with a warm nose continuing to appear on soundings. However, visibility should generally remain above 6 miles due to the late October / early November sun angle. For our valleys, the HREF continues to show <5-10% probability of visibilities less than 6 miles over the next couple days. Some locally lower visibilities may occur in the morning hours when the inversion is at its strongest and particulates begin to settle more versus the daytime hours. Regardless, particulates will be airborne and trapped under an inversion resulting in less than favorable air quality, so be sure to limit time outside. On Wednesday, ensemble guidance is in great agreement that a longwave trough will push inland off the West Coast. However, some disagreement among ensemble members has begun to show as ~40% of all ensemble members generally have a less amplified trough pushing inland with ~60% showing a slightly more amplified solution. The latter would provide better forcing and presumably better moisture return to the area resulting in higher PoPs and perhaps higher QPF amounts. The other solution would still have chances for rain as the trough should arrive with enough forcing and moisture to spark showers, though PoPs would be more muted. Regardless, guidance does appear favorable for precipitation to return to northern UT and southwest WY just after midweek. Lastly, a weak cold front will push through northern and central UT as the trough traverses east cooling temperatures to seasonal norms on Thursday. This will be short lived as high pressure builds back in Friday rebounding temperatures to around 5 degrees above normal. Looking toward the end of next week, additional shots at precipitation chances across northern UT and southwest WY look to continue as various shortwave perturbations appear to traverse northern UT in an otherwise prevailing zonal flow regime. Confidence remains low regarding coverage and strength, though ensembles seem relatively consistent with developing at least one shortwave trough near the end of the week. && .AVIATION...KSLC...VFR conditions continue at the KSLC terminal through the TAF period. Scattered high clouds will continue through the daytime hours today before clearing out tonight. The transition to northwesterly winds this afternoon is expected to be later than typical, most likely closer to around 20-21z but could be as late as 00z. Wind speeds should be predominantly light regardless of direction, 6kt or less through at least this evening. .REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Dry conditions across the airspace yields VFR conditions at all regional terminals through the TAF period. Few to scattered high clouds will continue through the daytime hours today before clearing out tonight. Expect light, diurnally driven winds to continue for all terminals. && .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