Following a spate of unseasonably warm, dry conditions, the state will see a return of winter weather Friday evening, with hazardous travel conditions along the Interstate 15 corridor and snow accumulations in mountains and valleys.
The cold front — with rain changing to snow — is expected to enter northwest Utah on Friday, sweeping southeast through the remainder of the state by late Saturday, the National Weather Service says. Precipitation will continue through early Sunday, bringing snow accumulations in most valleys and mountains.
Temperatures are also expected to drop significantly.
Northern and central mountains are expected to receive 10 to 20 inches of snow, with higher amounts possible. Several inches of snow is expected to accumulate in most valleys, the NWS says.
Road snow will make for slippery conditions on all Utah routes late Friday through Saturday, the NWS said. The Utah Department of Transportation warned commuters to avoid travel along I-15 from Friday night to Saturday afternoon.
Travelers are warned to prepare for winter driving conditions and should allow for “plenty of extra time to reach their destinations,” the NWS says.
The NWS issued a hazardous weather outlook for the western two-thirds of the state as winds increase ahead of the cold front and could become strong in southwestern valleys Friday. The cold front will slowly move across the area with heavy snow — which is expected to accumulate even in southern Utah’s Dixie area.
For those attending the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, there will be a chance of rain Friday morning with more rain likely in the afternoon. A rain-snow mix will move in Friday night bringing temperatures as low as the lower 20s overnight. On Saturday, snow is likely with highs in the mid-30s and lows near 15 degrees.
Salt Lake City residents can expect partly cloudy skies Thursday with highs in the upper 50s with lows overnight dropping into the lower 40s. The high may break a record high of 56 degrees set in the year 2000. Friday will be breezy with a slight chance of rain in the morning and rain likely in the afternoon. Highs will be in the lower 50s. Locals will see rain and snow in the evening changing to snow after midnight. Accumulations will be possible, and temperatures will be colder with lows around 30 degrees.
On Saturday, highs will reach the upper 30s, accompanied by a 60 percent chance of snow. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-20s and a 30 percent chance of snow showers.
St. George will be partly cloudy Thursday with highs at about 60 degrees and lows overnight about 40 degrees. Friday will be breezy with highs in the lower 60s and winds shifting from 10 to 20 mph in the early afternoon to 15 to 20 mph in the evening. There will be a slight chance of rain Friday night with rain likely after midnight.
Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain and highs in the mid-40s. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain and snow showers in the evening with lows overnight in the upper 20s.
The risk for avalanches Thursday was rated as moderate in Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo, Skyline, the Uintas and Moab, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.
Air quality is expected to be moderate in Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, Box Elder, Cache and Tooele counties and good in Washington, Carbon, Duchesne and Uintah counties, according to the state Division of Air Quality.
For more detailed weather information, check out The Salt Lake Tribune’s weather page at www.sltrib.com/weather.
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