Inversions expected to worsen along Wasatch Front before weekend storm

As the East Coast braces for a blizzard and strong winter storm, Utahns will have to wait a couple more days before receiving any precipitation.

According to the National Weather Service, high-pressure inversions will build in Utah valleys Thursday and Friday, deteriorating air quality and increasing fog and haze before a Saturday storm.

The NWS recommends carpooling, using public transportation, reducing idle time in vehicles and lowering thermostats to help reduce inversion pollution.

The Division of Air Quality predicts that air in Salt Lake, Davis and Cache counties will be unhealthy for sensitive groups Thursday and Friday, and will be moderate in Utah, Weber, Box Elder and Tooele counties. Air quality is forecast to be good in Washington, Carbon, Duchesne and Uintah counties Thursday, though Duchesne and Uintah counties are expected to be downgraded to moderate levels Friday.

A hazardous weather outlook has been issued for the western two-thirds of the state, warning of patchy fog and hazy conditions along the Wasatch Front. The storm system expected Saturday will likely bring accumulating snowfall in the mountains and a chance of rain and snow in the valleys. Drier weather is expected to return as the week begins.

Seventeen flights out of Salt Lake City International Airport were canceled Thursday as weather conditions worsened along the East Coast. As of Thursday evening, three Friday flights to the Northeastern United States had been canceled.

Highs near Salt Lake City are expected to reach about 40 degrees Thursday, with partly cloudy skies and hazy conditions. Overnight, temperatures will drop into the mid-20s, and on Friday, highs will reach about 40 degrees again. Skies will be partly sunny in the morning and turn partly cloudy as the day wears on. There is a 50 percent chance of rain Saturday, with highs in the lower 40s.

St. George residents can expect to see partly cloudy skies Thursday morning, which will clear out later in the day. Highs will reach about 60 degrees. Overnight temperatures will drop to about 30 degrees, before climbing back up to about 60 degrees Friday.

As the new year begins, a look back on weather conditions in 2017 shows that it was the fourth warmest year on record based on average temperature, the NWS said. It tied for the second warmest on record based on minimum temperatures and tied for fifth warmest on record based on average maximum temperatures.

Avalanche danger is moderate near Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo and the Uintas, according to the Utah Avalanche Center, and it is low near Skyline.

For more detailed information, visit The Salt Lake Tribune’s weather page at www.sltrib.com/weather.