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After record breaking heat, it’s going to be much colder on Memorial Day

Expect rain in northern Utah, and there’s a red flag warning in southern Utah.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rain showers fall in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Saturday, August 21, 2021, offering an unobstructed view of the Salt Lake valley below. More rain is in the forecast for northern Utah throughout the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

After record-breaking heat in Salt Lake City on Thursday, temperatures are expected to be 10-20 degrees below normal during Memorial Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service. And the forecast calls for rain, rain and more rain.

This after temperatures soared as much as 15 degrees above normal on Thursday. It hit 92 in downtown Salt Lake City, breaking a record of 87 set in 2006. It was 94 at Salt Lake City International Airport, breaking a record of 92 set in 1958.

City Creek (85) tied a record set in 2001; Eskdale (92) tied a record set in 1974; Provo/BYU (93) tied a record set in 2001; and Scipio (91) tied a record set in 1900.

The forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures a few degrees above normal — in the mid-80s — across northern Utah on Friday, And then a storm system from the Pacific Northwest will move in Friday night, and temperatures will drop. In Salt Lake City, a high of 70 is expected on Saturday, dropping to 60 on Sunday and 58 on Monday — 20 degrees below normal.

There’s an 80-90% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday, and a 70% chance on Monday.

(National Weather Service) A red flag warning has been issued for southern Utah.

There’s no rain in the forecast for southern Utah, and the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for much of that part of the state from 11 a.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Sunday. Winds of 15-25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph are expected with daytime humidity of 5-10%, creating the possibility of critical fire conditions.

The affected area includes St. George, Cedar City, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Escalante, Moab and Green River.

Temperatures will also fall in southern Utah. In St. George, the forecast high is 98 on Friday, 92 on Saturday, 84 on Sunday and 78 on Monday. Normal highs for this time of year are 90-91.