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Three winter storms are heading for Utah

All could bring snow — maybe a foot or more in Salt Lake City.

(Courtesy of the National Weather Service) A series of three winter storms is expected to hit Utah beginning Thursday night and continuing through Wednesday.

  | Feb. 11, 2021, 3:55 p.m.
| Updated: 4:01 p.m.

Not one, not two, but three “significant winter storms” are headed for Utah over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.

And the Utah Avalanche Center has issued a backcountry avalanche watch for all northern Utah mountains, which continues through 6 a.m. Friday. “Very dangerous avalanche conditions” are likely to continue through the weekend, with both human-triggered and natural avalanches likely.

[Read more: Why Utah is in the middle of one of its most deadly skiing years.]

The first storm is expected to arrive Thursday — a winter storm warning will be in effect from 8 p.m. Thursday through 11 p.m. Friday. It will bring mostly rain in the valley but 6-16 inches of snow to the mountains, with wind gusts up to 35 mph. Drivers should expect winter conditions on all high-elevation routes, including during the Friday-morning commute and possibly during the Friday-evening commute over Parley’s Summit.

In the Salt Lake City area, temperatures will reach the mid to upper 40s on Thursday before the storm moves in. There’s a 20% chance of snow during the day, rising to a 90% chance Thursday night and Friday, with possible accumulations of 2-4 inches Thursday night and another 2-4 inches Friday.

That storm will move off later Friday, but a second storm will arrive Saturday afternoon and continue through Sunday morning. After starting out as a mix of rain or snow in the valleys, there’s a 90% chance of snow Saturday, an 80% chance Saturday night, and a 40% chance Sunday in the Salt Lake City area — with accumulations of 6-12 inches of snow possible.

The cold front will bring gusty canyon winds across the northern Wasatch Front through Sunday morning. Only lower valleys in far southern Utah are expected to escape the snow, according to the weather service.

A third storm is expected to arrive Monday, and “the snow could be heavy at times.” There’s a chance the snow could continue Tuesday and Wednesday.

Temperatures in Salt Lake City will drop significantly from the 40s and 50s the area has experienced this week. The forecast highs are 39 on Friday, 36 on Saturday, 27 on Sunday and 33 on Monday, with overnight ranging from 36 on Thursday to 18 on Sunday.