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000
FXUS65 KSLC 091127
AFDSLC

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
427 AM MST MON DEC 9 2013

.SYNOPSIS...THE WEATHER DISTURBANCE THAT CROSSED NORTHERN UTAH
OVERNIGHT WILL CONTINUE SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE STATE LATER THIS
MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT OFF THE WEST COAST WILL MAINTAIN A
STABLE AND INCREASINGLY DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN
THROUGH MIDWEEK.


&&

.SHORT TERM (THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY)...THE UPPER TROUGH THAT MOVED
INTO NORTHERN UTAH DURING THE EVENING HAS SHIFTED INTO NORTHEAST
THROUGH CENTRAL UTAH EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS TROUGH WILL MOVE
QUICKLY OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST...AND SHOULD BE OUT OF THE STATE BY
LATE THIS MORNING.

SNOW HAS BEEN ENDING QUICKLY IN THE SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE THE
PASSING TROUGH OVERNIGHT. THE EXCEPTION REMAIN AREAS SOUTHEAST OF
THE GSL WHERE INSTABILITY EXTENDING UP TO AROUND 700-650MB IS
SUPPORTING LAKE-ENHANCED SNOWS ACROSS THE SALT LAKE...TOOELE AND
NORTHERN UTAH VALLEYS. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS...SO WILL MAINTAIN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
FOR MINIMAL ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION BUT SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS FOR
THE MORNING COMMUTE.

THE HIGH-AMPLITUDE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC WILL
MAINTAIN A STABLE AND MOSTLY DRY NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE GREAT
BASIN THROUGH MIDWEEK. CLOUD COVER...OR THE LACK THEREOF...WILL
HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON TEMPS THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. IF
SKIES CLEAR TONIGHT...THEN VALLEYS TEMPS COULD END QUITE COLD
TUESDAY MORNING. ADD TO THIS FAIRLY RAPID WARMING ALOFT AND THE
EXPECTED VALLEY INVERSIONS COULD BE QUITE STRONG FOR SEVERAL DAYS
TO COME. FOG AND URBAN HAZE WILL BECOME MORE OF AN ISSUE WITH
TIME...THOUGH WITH THE FOG IT MAY BE A BIT SLOWER TO DEVELOP AND
SPREAD OUT DUE TO THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPS AND GRADUAL DRYING.

&&

.LONG TERM (AFTER 00Z THURSDAY)...RIDGE AXIS IS PROGGED TO MOVE
OVERHEAD BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...FURTHER INCREASING STABILITY OVER
THE AREA. THIS WILL KEEP VALLEY INVERSIONS STRONG WHILE 700 MB TEMPS
AROUND -1C TO 0C WOULD RESULT IN MILD TEMPS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. AS
THE RIDGE AXIS MOVES OVERHEAD...GLOBAL MODELS SHOW A PACIFIC STORM
SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS ARIZONA THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THIS
SYSTEM LIKELY REMAINS TOO FAR SOUTH FOR PRECIP OVER SOUTHERN
UTAH...BUT COULD CAUSE SOME INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER.

EC/GFS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A WEAK STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS
UTAH FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. 700 MB TEMPS LOOK TO DROP TO THE
-8C TO -10C RANGE WITH THE SYSTEM...AND INCREASING FLOW ALOFT MIGHT
BE ENOUGH TO PROVIDE AT LEAST PARTIAL MIXING OF VALLEY INVERSIONS.
BECAUSE OF THIS...HAVE INDICATED MODEST WARMING OF VALLEY TEMPS FOR
THE WEEKEND. MOISTURE LOOKS TO BE A BIT LIMITED WITH THE SYSTEM AT
THIS TIME...BUT WOULD LIKELY BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME SNOW...AT
LEAST OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. HAVE KEPT SOME MOUNTAIN POPS IN
DURING THIS TIME.

NORTHWEST FLOW IS EXPECTED TO BUILD BACK OVER THE FORECAST AREA
BEHIND THE EXITING TROUGH. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF ON THE TROUGH FOR
SUNDAY/MONDAY...WITH THE ECMWF SHOWING A GRAZING SYSTEM THAT MIGHT
BRING SOME CLOUDS INTO NORTHERN UTAH WHILE THE GFS INDICATES A
SYSTEM EVEN WEAKER THAN THAT.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY AT THE SLC
TERMINAL. CIGS AT OR BELOW 6000 FT ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL DURING
THE EARLY MORNING...BECOMING MORE SCATTERED BETWEEN 14Z AND 16Z.
THERE IS A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF BRIEF LOW-END MVFR TO HIGH-END IFR
CONDITIONS IN SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH ABOUT 15Z. NORTHWEST WINDS ARE
EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY BUT THERE IS A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF
LIGHT AND VARIABLE OR LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS DURING THE MORNING.

&&

.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM MST THIS MORNING FOR UTZ003.

WY...NONE.
&&

$$

PUBLIC...CONGER
AVIATION...TRAPHAGAN

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)

FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY/GENERAL/AFD_FAQS.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)