If you think it’s been hotter than normal for the past three months, you’re absolutely right.
According to the National Weather Service, it’s never been hotter at the Salt Lake City International airport during a “meteorological summer” — June, July and August — than it was this year.
The average temperature at the airport was 80.9 degrees Fahrenheit, tying a record set in 2017.
The average high temperature in June was 93.6 degrees, which is 9.4 degrees above normal. The average high in July was 98.4 degrees, 4.4 degrees above normal. And the average high in August was 89.6 degrees — 2.2 degrees below normal..
Salt Lake City recorded its earliest 100-degree day ever on June 4, and tied the record for the most triple-digit days, set back in 1994, with 21.
As September begins, there’s nothing even close to triple-digit temperatures in the forecast for the Salt Lake City area. The highs are expected to be 78 Wednesday, 81 on Thursday and 75 on Friday, with highs in the low to mid-80s from Saturday through Tuesday.
Smoke from West Coast wildfires will continue to impact the northern “third or so” of Utah through at least Thursday night, the weather service warned. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality forecasts moderate, or “yellow,” air quality through Thursday in Salt Lake, Carbon, Davis, Duchesne, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Weber and Box Elder counties.
It’ll be “orange”, unhealthy for sensitive people, in Cache County on Wednesday, and “yellow” there on Thursday and Friday.
There’s a 30% chance of rain in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, a 20% chance on Thursday afternoon and a 30% chance Thursday night, then nothing in the way of precipitation through Tuesday. The forecast for Monday — Labor Day — is sunny with a high near 84.
In portions of southern, central and eastern Utah, the remnants of what was Hurricane Nora threaten heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding through Wednesday evening. There’s a flash flood watch in effect until midnight. The greatest threat is in normally dry washes, slot canyons, slick rock areas, near recent burn scars and in steep canyons.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms will continue in parts of eastern Utah on Thursday afternoon and evening, and additional showers and thunderstorms are possible Friday afternoon across parts of northern Utah.
There’s a 70% chance of rain Wednesday in St. George, with a high of 87. Temperatures will rise to the mid-90s on Thursday and Friday, and the low to mid-100s Saturday-Tuesday.