Critical fire weather conditions for southern Utah as hot and windy weather continues

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Happy Monday, Utah! After high heat over the weekend, our weather pattern begins to shift Monday as a weak trough in the Pacific Northwest moves inland. That change will flatten the ridge that’s been keeping things toasty, especially in northern Utah. As a result, northern areas can expect a slight cooldown compared to Sunday, while southern Utah holds steady with hot, dry conditions.

With the trough approaching and winds picking up, we’ll see gustier conditions Monday afternoon and evening, most notably across southern and eastern Utah. That will stir up fire weather concerns, especially with how dry the air remains.

Red Flag Warnings are in effect from noon to midnight today for the southern half of the state due to the increase in winds. This means that existing fires will spread rapidly in addition to any new fires that start. Wind gusts up to 35 mph are expected with sustained winds of 10-25 mph. 

Late Monday night, a weak front will move through the state. It looks to be mostly dry since moisture is very limited. Still, a couple of isolated sprinkles can’t be ruled out for northern Utah, but most of us will stay dry.

By Tuesday morning, that front will have swept through most of Utah and will help drop temperatures 5-10 degrees from Monday, with the most noticeable change across northern Utah. Winds will shift more northwesterly behind the front, and while they’ll still be breezy, they won’t be as gusty as Monday.

Midweek, high pressure over the Southwest will start sliding westward, keeping things dry but allowing for a gradual warm-up on Wednesday. Winds will stay relatively light, and the pattern will start to resemble what we saw earlier in the week.

Thursday brings another round of very hot, very dry weather. Southwest winds will increase ahead of another trough diving into the Pacific Northwest. Relative humidity will drop into the single digits and teens, and temperatures could flirt with record highs — especially in the valleys. Salt Lake City could hit 102°, which would break the record for that day. 

Heading into Friday and Saturday, the next system moves closer. Winds are expected to ramp up again, and a weak cold front could start pushing into northern Utah by Saturday. That front may bring some relief from the heat up north, but to the south, gusty winds and bone-dry air will keep fire weather concerns front and center. Stay tuned. 

We’ll keep you up-to-date in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah!