At the end of a spate of unseasonably warm, dry conditions, the state will see a return of wintry weather Friday afternoon as a snowstorm moves from the northwest of the state to the southeast.
A winter weather advisory will be in effect from noon Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday. While the mountains could see up to 20 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), the valley could also see significant accumulation.
The Wasatch Front is expected to get 3 to 6 inches of snow, with as many as 10 inches in certain areas, the NWS says. About 1½ inches are to fall per hour, according to the NWS.
Roads are expected to be slick. The Utah Department of Transportation warned commuters to avoid travel along I-15 from Friday night to Saturday afternoon.
Friday is to be a relatively warm 40 degrees with a low of 37, the weather service says, but Saturday is expected to see a high of 24 and a low of 21.
The forecast temperature drops further Sunday, with a high of 20 degrees and a low of 12 in the Salt Lake City area.
For Park City, which is hosting the Sundance Film Festival, there will be a chance of rain Friday morning and afternoon. A rain-snow mix is to move in Friday night, bringing temperatures in the lower 20s overnight. On Saturday, snow is likely, with high temperatures in the mid-30s and lows near 15 degrees.
The risk for avalanches Thursday was rated as moderate in Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake City, Provo, the Uintas and Moab, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.
Air quality is expected to be moderate Friday and good Saturday in Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, Box Elder, Cache and Tooele counties. It’s expected to be good in Washington, Carbon, Duchesne and Uintah counties Friday and Saturday, according to the state Division of Air Quality.
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