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2021 will end with snow and cold; 2022 will begin with more snow and even colder temperatures

Temperatures will be well below normal on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kamren Nielson digs his car out from heavy snow in Salt Lake City, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. More snow is expected on New Year's Eve.

  | Dec. 30, 2021, 3:27 p.m.
| Updated: 3:52 p.m.

There will be snow and cold temperatures as 2021 comes to an end, and more snow and even colder temperatures as 2022 begins, according to the National Weather Service.

There’s a 60% chance of snow in Salt Lake City on Thursday afternoon, with maybe half an inch of accumulation — and more in other areas. On Thursday night that chance rises to 90%, with 2-4 more inches possible, and temperatures will dip to the low 20s overnight.

It’s not going to get a lot warmer than that on Friday. The forecast high in Salt Lake City is just 28, and up to 6 inches of snow could fall. And it will get really cold on New Year’s Eve — an overnight low of 11 is expected.

The extreme cold will persist on New Year’s Day, with a daytime high of 19 and an overnight low of 7 on Saturday. That’s considerably below normal for this time of the year. According to the National Weather Service, in Salt Lake City the average high for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is 37, and the average overnight low is 24.

(The record high on Dec. 31 was 62 in 1996; the record low was -7 in 1990. The record high on Jan. 1 was 58 in 1997; the record low as -4 in 1974.)

There’s a chance of more snow on Saturday, but less than an inch of additional accumulation is in the forecast.

It’ll be warmer on Sunday, but not much — a daytime high of 28 and an overnight low of 16. It’s expected to rise above freezing Monday-Wednesday, with daytime highs in the mid-30s and overnight lows in the mid- to upper 20s.

A winter weather advisory remains in effect in the Wasatch Mountains, the western Uintas Mountains, the Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs and central Utah’s mountains through 5 a.m. Saturday, with 1-2 feet of snow expected and more than that in some areas. The heaviest snow is forecast for Thursday afternoon and Thursday night

Expect winter driving conditions, including snow packed roads, blowing snows and reduced visibility.

In southern Utah, there will be rain mixed with snow on Thursday, changing over to all rain. And more rain on Friday. Daytime highs in the mid-40s are expected, and it will be cold on New Year’s Eve, with lows barely above 20.

The sun returns on New Year’s Day, with a high of 34 and an overnight low of 19. Sunny skies will continue through Wednesday, with daytime temperatures rebounding into the 40s.