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Salt Lake City still sweltering after weekend heat broke records

Pioneer Day weekend is going to be scorching, according to the National Weather Service.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kids cool off in the creek at Memory Grove, on Saturday, July 15, 2023. More triple-digit temperatures are expected for the upcoming Pioneer Day weekend.

After smashing a heat record and coming within a degree of the all-time hottest day ever recorded in Salt Lake City, more triple-digit temperatures are expected this week.

Sunday marked the hottest day of the year so far, with thermometers topping out at 106. That broke the previous record for the July 16th date (set in 1960, then matched in 2005 and 2010) by three degrees, and it was 11 degrees above normal for this time of year.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Salt Lake City was 107, set in 1960 and matched again in 2002, 2021, and 2022.

According to the National Weather Service, a strong high-pressure system over Utah is keeping the heat in place.

Temperatures are expected to be 5-10 degrees above normal across the state on Monday. An extreme heat warning is in effect until 9 p.m. in the Salt Lake, Utah, Tooele and Rush valleys, as well as in southwestern Utah, including St. George along with Zion and Capitol Reef national parks. Across the rest of Utah, there are heat advisories in place.

A cold front is expected to move into northern Utah on Monday evening, but in this case, “cold” is a relative term. Temperatures should drop into the mid- to upper 90s on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and rain and thunderstorms are possible.

It’s just temporary relief, though. Temperatures are expected to return to triple digits on Friday and remain there through Pioneer Day weekend, with the forecast calling for scorching highs during the Days of ‘47 parade on Monday.

There is no relief in sight for southern Utah. High temperatures will remain at or above 110 in St. George through the weekend, according to the weather service.