This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A warm, sunny Memorial Day weekend invites Utahns to recreate, celebrate scenic wonders and contemplate the price paid for the freedom to enjoy it all.
The next few days, annually set aside to honor Americans who died in military service, will see both sunshine and occasional rain bathe "the sacred ground [where] I'm in the best of company," as country balladeer Trace Adkins puts it.
Both the fresh flowers spread on heroes' graves, and their memories, should thrive.
The Wasatch Front looked for highs of 75-80 Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the temperatures on Monday rising into the mid-80s. Throughout the first half of holiday weekend, afternoon thunderstorms and rain showers were on the horizon.
Southern Utahns, meanwhile, seem to have skipped the remainder of spring entirely and plunged into summer. High temperatures Friday and Saturday were to range into low-80s, again with isolated showers and thunderstorms in the later hours. Sunday's highs were forecast to climb near 90 degrees and then the mid- to upper-90s on Monday.
The Utah Division of Air Quality predicted "green," or healthy breathing conditions this weekend, though wildfires in northern Arizona may waft smoke into southwestern Utah, deteriorating air quality there.
The Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website's pollen index was "high" for grass and cedar and "moderate" for oak and mold.
For more extensive forecast information, visit The Tribune's weather page at http://www.sltrib.com/weather.
Twitter: @remims