SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Happy Sunday, Utah! Expect another warm afternoon in store with an increase in cloud cover and breezy southerly winds.
Highs today will top out in the mid to upper 50’s for the Wasatch Front and low to mid 60’s into SW Utah. As we head into President’s day, winds will continue to increase ahead of a series of storm systems that are poised to bring in plenty of moisture throughout the region, more on that in a bit. For Monday though it will be another warm one as winds will be flowing from the south. Expect high temperatures to be near record-breaking territory along the Wasatch Front . With highs warming into the low 60’s for some, SW Utah will see highs in the upper 60’s pushing 70 degrees. Conditions should still remain dry for much of the day on Monday, with clouds continuing to increase. Expect moisture to start flowing into the region for Monday evening and into the overnight hours.
Our attention shifts to a series of incoming storm systems that are expected to impact the region this week, bringing in lots of moisture statewide. This first system will bring in rain showers for the valleys and mountain snow for elevations above 7,000′. This first system will be much too warm to bring any chances for accumulating snow to the valleys, so expect rain Monday night into Tuesday with some snow mixing in for Tuesday. As this first system exits, a second one arrives Tuesday night with this one bringing in much colder air with winds shifting to a northwesterly flow. With the arrival of this much colder air, this gives our valley areas a better chance at seeing accumulating snow Tuesday night through Thursday. Expect the valley areas to transition over from rain to snow Tuesday night with snow likely Wednesday into Thursday. This northwesterly flow will also help to bring significant snowfall amounts to areas such as the Cottonwoods and Bear River Range. Lake effect snow potential will have to be monitored given the northwesterly flow and overnight lows dipping into the low to mid 20’s by Wednesday and Thursday night for the Wasatch Front.
The big question that is on everyone’s mind is, how much snow will we get? While it is still too early to make any official determinations on snowfall amounts, given the prolonged nature of this event, expect snowfall amounts for the mountain ranges to be measured in feet rather than inches like with previous storm systems. The greatest snowfall amounts look to be for the Cottonwoods, Bear River Range, and Brian Head area where feet of snow are expected. As for the valley areas, a swath from Cedar City to Beaver area looks to see the greatest with amounts in excess of 4″ possible or more. For the Northern valleys, this figures to be some of our more significant accumulations region wide with Salt Lake City looking more likely to end our streak of not seeing an inch or more of snow. Nonetheless, significant travel impacts do look likely for our mountain pass regions with impacts expected for our valley areas…