(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Michael Bachmann and son Mark vacationing from Philadelphia step into the water of the Great Salt Lake at Salt Air and stir up some of the millions of brine flies that gather at the water's edge. Although the clouds of flies are annoying they don't bite. They are a huge food source for migrating waterfowl and are important to the ecology of the lake.

Flash flood watch for S. Utah, flood warnings for north

Waterways » Little Cottonwood Creek, Uintas, Cache County run high

By bob mims

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Jul 06 2011 06:46 am • Last Updated Jul 06 2011 11:34 pm

Cooler temperatures and an increasing possibility of thunderstorms ruled Utah’s forecast Wednesday into Thursday as a high pressure system remained locked over the Four Corners region.

High temperatures peaked in the mid-80s Wednesday throughout northern and eastern Utah, with the exception of the Wasatch Mountains resort communities of Park City and Alta, where daytime highs were pegged in the upper 70s and high 60s, respectively. Thursday’s temperatures were forecast to be similar.

In the Salt Lake Valley, Wednesday dawned under scattered clouds and haze with humidity at a muggy 77 percent. The National Weather Service predicted the chances for isolated showers and lightning would increase by Thursday afternoon.

Southern Utah’s temperatures ranged from the mid- to high 80s, though southwestern Utah’s traditional hot spot, the St. George area, was to hit the mid- to upper 90s both days. Showers and thunderstorms were possible Thursday.

That precipitation prompted the NWS to issue a flash flood watch through Wednesday night for south central and southwestern Utah, particularly Zion National Park and the southern mountains, as well as the region’s isolated slot canyons and slick rock locales.

Meanwhile, several areas of the state remained at risk for renewed flooding. Forecasters once again put Salt Lake County’s Little Cottonwood Creek under a flood warning until Thursday afternoon after the waterway topped flood stage late Tuesday.

The creek was flowing at 818 cubic feet per second early Wednesday at Crestwood Park, in the Cottonwood Heights area, above its 800 cfs flood stage. Downstream, however, the Little Cottonwood’s flow diminished to 730 cfs where it joined the equally swollen Jordan River. Flood stage at that locale is 784 cfs.

The NWS warned that renewed, albeit minor flooding was expected in Murray Park as the Little Cottonwood rose.

Flood warnings also were in place until Friday afternoon for the southern slopes of eastern Utah’s Uinta Mountains to the west of the Uinta River. The Upper Stillwater Reservoir remained full, spilling excess runoff into the Duchesne River and kept the risk of flooding high in Duchesne.

Rock Creek, near Mountain Home, and the lower Duchesne River, near Myton, also were fluctuating at or above their flood stages.

In Cache County, the Logan River near Logan Canyon and Spring Creek, near the town of Providence, were under flood warnings until Thursday afternoon. Reports of minor flooding continued in both areas.

remims@sltrib.com

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