327
FXUS65 KSLC 061908
AFDSLC

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
1208 PM MST Fri Mar 6 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Snow showers will continue across the mountainous terrain of
  northern and central Utah through Friday, bringing travel
  impacts to higher elevation routes.

- A closed low to our south the jet stream to our north will keep
  moisture to our north and south while we stay relatively dry
  with increasing temperatures through the weekend and most of
  next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Already, the post frontal snow showers from our
latest storm are overperforming in the central Wasatch as 12 hour
snow water equivalent has reached upwards of 0.8 to 1.07 inches in
Little Cottonwood Canyon. Elsewhere in Big Cottonwood, the
northern Wasatch, and central Utah mountains, 12 hour SWE
accumulations range from around 0.1 inches to 0.4 inches. Even in
the Salt Lake Valley, we continue to see persistent snow showers
bringing accumulations on unpaved surfaces (most notably on the
east bench).

Snow showers are expected to continue throughout the day over the
mountainous terrain as solar heating will help to maintain
convection across the Beehive State. In general, anticipate valley
areas gradually drying out through the late morning and early
afternoon while the mountains continue onward with snowfall. As
such, impacts to travel on mountain routes are expected to
continue so long as we maintain lower level moisture and
instability. The greatest accumulations are to be expected in the
central Wasatch and Manti Skyline where an additional 3 to 10
inches of snowfall is likely to occur (80% chance). Elsewhere in
the mountainous terrain, additional accumulations throughout the
day will range from 1 to 4 inches (lowest amounts expected north
of the I-84 corridor).

As our storm system continues its departure from Utah, an
increasing surface pressure gradient across southern Utah will
pair with northerly low level winds around 30-35 mph which will
help to drive enhanced canyon winds across Washington County. From
roughly 7PM Friday through 4AM Saturday, northerly wind gusts
through the I-15 corridor between Cedar City and Washington City
will fall in the 45 to 55 mph range. Given the northerly component
of the winds (and the lack of a significant crosswind) we are not
anticipating high impacts. That said, loose objects in residences
in Toquerville, Hurricane, and La Verkin may be picked up by these
locally strong wind gusts.

From Saturday onward, a ridge of high pressure will build back
into the eastern Great Basin region and help to stabilize
conditions across the forecast area. Temperatures will gradually
warm over the weekend as high pressure becomes more established,
allowing for high temperatures to trend back to above normal
levels by Sunday, with the trend continuing into Monday.

Throughout the next week, our forecast area will remain sandwiched
between two main weather drivers; a ridge of high pressure to the
west/ southwest (warm and dry) and a longwave trough to the
north (cooler and wetter). While ensemble guidance remains in fair
agreement on Utah and southwest Wyoming remaining on the drier and
warmer side of things, any fluctuation of the jet stream to the
north will help to introduce cooler conditions (at the very least)
across the northern area. As such, confidence in the temperature
forecast by the middle of next week decreases as we find ourselves
in a battle between these two features... leading to upwards of
10 degrees of spread (25th to 75th percentile) in the high
temperature forecast for the northern area. Alongside this spread
in temperature forecast, have maintained at least low end PoPs for
the northern area as light precipitation could accompany any cold
fronts dropping into the region. It is important to note that no
significant precipitation events (0.5 inches of SWE or greater)
will accompany these potential cold fronts... just light mountain
snow would be the most likely result.


&&

.AVIATION...KSLC...VFR conditions, with temporary reductions to
MVFR conditions due to lower CIGs, are expected over the KSLC
terminal through the mid-afternoon. Occasional light snow showers
will also bring temporary reductions in VIS to around 5SM.
Persistent northerly winds with occasional gusts to around 20kts
are expected to prevail through the daylight hours, decreasing in
intensity this evening. North winds prevail through around
midnight before reverting back to a light southerly flow.

.Rest of Utah and Southwest Wyoming...VFR to MVFR conditions are
expected for a majority of terminals along the I-15 corridor and
areas near mountainous terrain through the daylight hours today,
with CIGs expected to be as low as 2-3kft AGL. Light snow showers,
primarily focused over mountainous terrain and adjacent valleys,
will bring periods of MVFR conditions due to lower CIGs.
Conditions will dry out and skies will clear through the late
evening hours, with generally light terrain driven flows expected
across much of the area outside of southwest Utah where locally
strong northerly winds will prevail overnight.

&&

.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST this morning for UTZ108-
     118-119.

     Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST this afternoon for
     UTZ110>113-117-125.

WY...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST this morning for WYZ021.

&&

$$

Webber

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http://weather.gov/saltlakecity