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Triple digits came a bit late to Salt Lake City this year — but nowhere near a record

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Larry Merket, and his 6-year-old daughter Nora from Syracuse, enjoy the warm weather as they wade in the Great Salt Lake, at Antelope Island State Park, Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018.

On Thursday afternoon, the temperature hit 100 degrees in Salt Lake City for the first time this year — week later than usual, according to the National Weather Service.

(The average date is July 4, based on the last 30-year climate period, 1981-2010.)

It was not even close to the latest the century mark has been reached in Utah’s capital city, however, because there have been 47 years when the temperature never hit 100 degrees at all, according to the NWS – most recently in 2004.

For years that the high did reach 100 degrees at least once, the latest in the year that happened was Aug. 24, 1919. Utah’s temperature records date back to 1874.

There are no more triple digits in the forecast for Salt Lake City over the next few days. It’s expected to hit 96 on Friday, then cool down to 90 on Saturday and Sunday and 89 on Monday and Tuesday.

But it’s going to stay warm overnight on Friday into Saturday — the forecast overnight low is 77, which would tie the record fo the lowest overnight low on July 13. And triple digits will remain in southern, with forecast highs in St. George between 103-106 through Tuesday. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are expected throughout much of Utah on Friday, and the lightning and gusty, erratic wins pose a fire danger. The chance of thunderstorms increases on Saturday, and storms in southern Utah could bring heavy rains and a “small threat” of flash flooding. A drier westerly flow will return early next week.