This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
You don't have to be of the "Snowflake Generation" to appreciate Earth Day, but to be sure, mountain snowfall — and valley rain showers — will underscore the Saturday observance.
Friday dawned wet, and at higher elevations blustery and white, along the Wasatch Front ahead of afternoon sunshine extending through Saturday, adding that special shine to blossoming trees and flowers as Utahns celebrate nature — and ponder how to save our suffering globe.
In other words, a great day for getting out to one of many Utah's Earth Day events (here are some of them: http://utahfamily.com/main/earth-day-2017/)
High temperatures in the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys will rise into the mid-60s, about 10 degrees warmer than a soggy Friday. Cloud cover builds again on Sunday, however, bringing highs in the low-70s prior to the onset of afternoon showers and thunderstorms
Southern Utahns skip the rain to embrace a more typical spring for the state's redrocks and high desert regions. Saturday will be a bit breezy but otherwise clear and sunny with highs in the mid-80s, up 5-7 degrees from Friday's forecast. Sunday, with winds of 15-25 mph, will see the mercury climb into the upper-80s.
However, the forecast was not as great for particulate pollution, especially in the state's heavily populated urban valleys. The Utah Division of Air Quality handed out "yellow," or compromised air quality grades statewide for the weekend.
No paradise predicted for proboscises, either: the Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website rated mulberry as "very high" on its pollen index as of Friday, while sycamore and oak were "high," and cottonwood, maple, cedar and ash were at "moderate" levels.
For more extensive forecast information visit the Tribune's weather page at http://www.sltrib.com/news/weather/.
Twitter: @remims