Utah’s wild weather ride will continue this week.
Tuesday’s high in Salt Lake City was forecast at about 78 degrees, more than 15 degrees above normal for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service. By about 1 p.m., the Salt Lake City International Airport had hit 80 degrees, tying a record high for the date previously set in 1934.
Though the warm weather was largely welcomed amid an especially snowy spring, the “intense” sun will create “widespread areas of unstable wet snow” — spelling avalanche danger, according to the weather service.
An avalanche warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday. The danger is “high” in the Salt Lake, Logan, Ogden, Provo and Uintas areas, according to the Utah Avalanche Center. It is “considerable” in the Skyline area, and “moderate” in the Moab area.
“The foothills are of particular concern,” the weather service advised, “including areas such as walking paths and hiking trails that travel on or below slopes steeper than 30 degrees.”
Forecast for the week
Expect highs in the upper 60s and low 70s on Wednesday before a storm moves in on Wednesday night and temperatures fall to the mid-30s. There is a 40% chance of rain showers, mainly after midnight.
Early Thursday, there is a 50% chance of snow showers. It is possible there could be 1-3 inches of accumulation, according to the weather service. Thursday’s high is expected to be in the low 40s — about 20 degrees below normal — with an overnight low of about 30 degrees.
There is a slight chance of more snow Friday.
The drop in temperatures will slow melting of Utah’s winter snowpack as the state braces for flooding.
Temperatures will bounce back, however, rising to the low to mid-50s on Friday; the low 60s on Saturday; and the low 70s on Sunday.
There is no precipitation in the forecast for southern Utah through the weekend, but temperatures will drop.
The St. George area is expected to reach the upper 80s on Tuesday and the mid-80s on Wednesday, then fall to the low 70s on Thursday and Friday before bouncing back to the upper 70s on Saturday and the low to mid-80s on Sunday. Normal highs for St. George are 74-75 degrees.