This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Warmer temperatures, sunshine breaking through the clouds and no storms on the horizon — not a bad weekend weather forecast for Utah.
The Wasatch Front looked for highs around 50 degrees on Saturday, up a few degrees from Friday's forecast. To the south, the denizens of Utah's Dixie headed into the weekend anticipating highs near 70 degrees with a bounty of sunshine.
But a long, gray winter made worse by lousy air quality along the state's pollution-trapping, inversion plagued urban valleys, was not entirely exorcised. Despite the spring-like weekend ahead, most of the Wasatch Front was downgraded to "Yellow," or compromised breathability for Saturday. Weber and Cache counties plummeted into the "Red," or downright unhealthy level, according to the Utah Division of Air Quality.
Some air quality relief may come with a weak storm system expected to move into the region on Sunday.
The Utah Avalanche Center warned backcountry skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers that the risk for dangerous snowslides remained elevated. The Uintas were at "considerable" avalanche risk, while the rest of the state's mountains earned "moderate" grades.
Salt Lake City's high on Saturday was to be 49 degrees, up a degree from Friday's forecast; Ogden looked for 47 and 44 degrees, respectively; Provo 52 and 49; Logan 40 and 38; Wendover 43 and 45; Duchesne 42 and 40; Cedar City 61 and 53; St. George 73 and 69; and Moab 54 and 47 degrees.
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