This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Utah is bracing for heat that not only could set records, but evoked warnings to safeguard children, the elderly and pets from the sizzling outdoors.
The National Weather Service issued a Heat Advisory for southwest and southcentral Utah beginning at noon Friday and running through Monday evening. Temperatures in those regions were expected to soar as high as 115 degrees.
Without a drop of rain on the horizon in Utah's Dixie, those oven-like conditions elevated risks for cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
"Friends, relatives and neighbors should check on people who may be at risk," the NWS stated. "Never leave children or pets in cars for any length of time as dangerous temperatures will develop very quickly."
If you must be outdoors as temperatures top triple digits, schedule frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas. Health experts advise anyone overcome by heat should immediately be moved to a cool, shaded location while emergency medical aid is sought.
NWS also issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the western two-thirds of Utah, noting a strengthening high pressure system would bring abnormally high temperatures throughout most of the state through Monday.
Some brief, minor relief could come with isolated rain showers in mountain locations Friday evening, forecasters said.
Along the Wasatch Front, temperatures Friday were to top 100, a mirror forecast of Thursday's weather. Saturday's highs will hover around 103, potentially matching or beating a 1979 record high of 103.5 degrees in Salt Lake City set for the month of June.
Southwestern Utah, too, will flirt with records this weekend. The Utah-Arizona border areas expected the mercury to surge to 115, just 1 degree off St. George's record high for June 29. St. George looked for a high of 114 on Friday, up from Thursday's 108-degree forecast.
Salt Lake City's high temperature Friday was pegged at 102, up a degree from Thursday's forecast; Ogden looked for 100 and 97 degrees, respectively; Provo 102 and 100; Logan 100 and 97; Wendover 101 and 98; Duchesne 96 and 95; Cedar City 100 and 96; and Moab 104 and 103 degrees.
The Utah Division of Air Quality rated breathability statewide in the "Green," or healthy category into the weekend, while the Intermountain Allergy & Asthma web site reported that grass, chenopods and plantain pollens were at "moderate" levels.
Twitter: @remims