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Utah’s temperatures will drop dramatically — and there could be hurricane-force winds

(Courtesy of the National Weather Service) There's a high-wind warning in effect for the northern Wasatch Front from midnight Monday through noon on Tuesday.

  | Sep. 7, 2020, 3:37 p.m.
| Updated: Sep. 8, 2020, 2:46 p.m.

Read the latest updates here.

A cold front will bring dramatically colder temperatures to Utah on Tuesday, and possibly hurricane-force winds to some areas.

The National Weather Service has issued a high-wind warning for the northern Wasatch Front beginning Monday at midnight and continuing through noon on Tuesday. East winds from 25 to 35 mph are expected, with gusts in excess of 60 mph.

Some areas near Farmington, Centerville and the mouth of Weber Canyon could experience gusts up to 75 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, a Category 1 Hurricane with winds between 74 and 95 mph can damage roofs, siding and gutters; snap large tree branches and topple trees with shallow root systems; and cause “extensive” damage to power lines and poles.

The weather service warns that all that is possible, along with blowing debris and hazardous driving conditions for high-profile vehicles.

The warnings come as Utah experiences a dayslong haze hovering over the Wasatch Front, with air pollution in the state briefly ranking among the worst in the world Monday, as reported by FOX 13.

Wind gusts could help clear some of the mix of wildfire smoke drifting in from surrounding areas and ozone pollution caused by heat and sunlight.

A red flag warning remains in effect throughout most of the state through 9 p.m. Monday, with a forecast high of 84 in the Salt Lake City area. The overnight low will drop 40 degrees to 44, with a slight chance of rain after midnight mixed with snow after 3 a.m. The forecast high on Tuesday is just 54.

Southern Utah will also see a huge temperature drop — from a high of 109 on Monday to 79 on Tuesday.

The weather service is warning that there will be snow accumulation in the western Uinta Mountains on Monday night, and freezing temperatures and widespread frost are possible across the Cache Valley, Wasatch Back, western Uinta Basin and other normally colder valleys across northern and central Utah on Wednesday morning.

Tuesday night is expected to be even colder, with a low of 38 in the Salt Lake City area. Temperatures will rise to the mid-60s on Wednesday and Thursday, and the mid-70s on Friday.