After a brief lull Monday, another snowstorm is expected to hit Utah this week, bringing unseasonably cold temperatures through at least Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
As the storm moves in Tuesday and Wednesday, the Salt Lake City area can expect total snow accumulations of 3-7 inches. And it’s going to get very cold, according to the weather service.
After highs in the low 30s on Tuesday and Wednesday, it will dip to about 12 degrees on Wednesday night. The expected high Thursday is 21 degrees, with an overnight low of 10; Friday will be 29 with an overnight low of 18.
Normal highs for this time of year are in the low to mid-50s, with lows in the mid-30s.
A winter storm watch will be in effect in the Wasatch Mountains north of Interstate 80 from 5 a.m. Tuesday until 5 p.m. Wednesday. Total snow accumulations of 10-20 inches are expected, with even higher amounts possible in some areas.
Sunny skies will return on Thursday and continue through the weekend. But temperatures in the low to mid-40s are expected on Saturday and Sunday — still 10-15 degrees below normal.
Over the weekend, 8.1 inches inches of snow fell at the Salt Lake City International Airport, marking the second-biggest local storm this winter. (The airport received 8.7 inches on Dec. 14-15.) Alta got 15 inches; the University of Utah saw 13 inches. Tooele and West Jordan each recorded 10 inches of snow.
According to the Utah Avalanche Center, avalanche danger remains considerable in the Uinta Mountains, Skyline, Moab and Abajos. The danger is moderate in the mountains near Salt Lake, Logan, Ogden and Provo.
Temperatures this week also will be considerably colder than normal in southern Utah.
A high of 50 is expected Monday in St. George, with an overnight low of 28. The forecast highs and lows this week are 55/35 on Tuesday; 60/33 on Wednesday — with a chance of rain mixed with snow that night; 47/26 on Thursday; and 55/31 on Friday.
Normal highs this time of year in St. George are in the mid- to upper 60s, and temperatures are expected to return to that range on Saturday and Sunday.