SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — A few strong to severe thunderstorms could bring isolated damaging wind gusts and hail to parts of the Intermountain West and central High Plains today, Thursday, September 17, according to a Severe Weather Outlook from Max Velocity, updated at 12:47 a.m. CDT. Across the Intermountain West, an incoming weather system will spark thunderstorms over the higher terrain late this afternoon, with the strongest cells capable of producing isolated severe gusts and hail through the early evening, while farther east, scattered storms develop along a lifting warm front across Nebraska and the central High Plains.
Incoming System Sparks Higher-Terrain Storms From Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City
If you live anywhere along the Idaho-Utah corridor, from Idaho Falls and Pocatello south through Logan and into Salt Lake City, this is the zone to watch closely late this afternoon. An incoming weather system is forecast to spark thunderstorms specifically over the higher terrain across this stretch, with the strongest cells capable of turning severe as they develop through the late afternoon and into the early evening hours.
Isolated Severe Gusts and Hail Possible Through Early Evening in the Intermountain West
Forecasters specifically flagged isolated severe wind gusts and hail as the primary hazards for anyone in the Idaho Falls-to-Salt Lake City corridor today. Not every storm that fires up over the higher terrain will reach severe limits, but any cell that does intensify carries the potential for a sudden, damaging gust or hail large enough to cause minor damage, particularly as storms track off the higher elevations and move through communities in the valleys below during the early evening commute…