Get ready to pull your sweaters and jackets out of the closet. You’re going to need them on Monday, when it will feel positively fall-like across much of Utah.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 61 in Salt Lake City on Monday, along with highs of 58 in Logan; 61 in Ogden; 58 in Tooele; 52 in Park City; 61 in Provo; 63 in Nephi; and 71 in Cedar City. Temperatures across most of Utah will be 15-20 degrees cooler than normal for this time of year.
If you’re looking for someplace that still feels like summer on Monday, you’ll have to go to southwestern Utah, where it will be 87 in St. George and Zion National Park.
In the meantime, you might want to rethink any outdoor plans you have this weekend. On Saturday, a weak, low-pressure system will bring strong thunderstorms — with the possibility of large hail, gusty winds and heavy rain — across nearly all of Utah, according to the weather service. The greatest threat will be late Saturday morning through Saturday evening.
There’s a 30-60% chance of rain in Salt Lake City during the day on Saturday, and a 20% chance on Saturday night before midnight.
Will the fans in LaVell Edwards Stadium for the BYU game get wet for the second week in a row? Maybe — showers and thunderstorms are “likely” in Provo before 7 p.m., and there’s a “slight chance” from 7 p.m.-1 a.m. (The BYU-Arizona State game kicks off at 8:15 p.m.)
There’s a 20% chance of rain on Saturday night in Ogden, where Weber State will host James Madison at 6 p.m.
In the Salt Lake City area, expect temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s on Saturday and Sunday. That’s before a cold front moves in and drops temperatures into the 40s Sunday night/early Monday (with a 40% chance of rain, mostly before midnight) and the upper 50s and low 60s on Monday. It’ll warm up into the 70s Tuesday-Thursday.
In St. George, expect temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s through Tuesday, and the mid-90s on Wednesday and Thursday.
Air quality is expected to improve somewhat. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality is forecasting orange/unhealthy for sensitive groups in Salt Lake, Utah and Davis counties on Friday, and yellow/moderate on Saturday and Sunday.
Other monitored counties — Cache, Carbon, Duchesne, Tooele, Uintah, and Weber/Box Elder — will be either green/good or yellow, and there’s nothing but green in the forecast for Washington and Iron counties.