This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Hot, gusty winds that blew dust and grit throughout much of the state on Friday will ease Saturday, when an advancing cold front drops northern Utah temperatures into the low-60s.
High wind advisories were out for all but the southeastern quarter of the state through late Friday night. The National Weather Service predicted strong, southerly gales of 45-55 mph along the western half of Utah, while winds of 25-35 mph were registered in the northeast.
Evel Knievel relished such days, saying he loved "the feeling of the fresh air on my face and the wind blowing through my hair."
But come on; he was Evel Knievel, the guy who jumped motorcycles over Las Vegas landmarks, rows of cars and canyons, with an impressive collection of broken bones to prove it.
So, not only "don't do this at home," but pay attention to warnings of strong crosswinds whip along Interstate 80, Highway 50, and State Routes 21 and 56 — especially if you're driving "high-profile vehicles like semi-trailer rigs, motor homes and trucks hauling trailers.
Sailors, too, were cautioned as the high winds will whip the waves high on lakes and reservoirs.
Saturday will dawn partly cloudy along the Wasatch Front, with Friday's winds easing to more springlike zephyrs of 10-20 mph. High temperatures will drop into the low-60 in the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys Saturday, down from the upper-80s of Friday.
Northern Utahns will again awaken to partly cloudy horizons on Sunday, though temperatures will reach 70 degrees in the afternoon.
Those cooler weekend temperatures will be welcomed in northeastern Weber County, where a Flood Warning was in effect through late Saturday morning. Of special concern was the south fork of the Ogden River, where snow melt had pushed water above the "bank-full" stage near Huntsville.
Southern Utahns look ahead to a breezy and sunny weekend. Saturday will see thermometers climb into the low-80s, down a few degrees from Friday. Sunday promises more temperatures in the low-80s for Utah's Dixie.
The Utah Division of Air Quality also has good news for the weekend, awarding "green," or healthy grades for all of the state's air monitoring districts.
However, better keep the allergy meds handy: the Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website on Friday listed mulberry and cedar "very high" on its pollen index, with oak and grass :high," and maple and mold "moderate."
For more extensive forecast information visit the Tribune's weather page at http://www.sltrib.com/news/weather/.
Twitter: @remims