264 FXUS65 KSLC 251544 AFDSLC AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 944 AM MDT SAT MAY 25 2013 .SYNOPSIS...A WARM AND BREEZY SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL TODAY. AN UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION BEGINNING EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION...A LARGE AND FAIRLY COLD TROUGH REMAINS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THIS MORNING. DEEP SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH ACROSS MUCH OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. SEVERAL DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS FLOW ARE NOTED ON MORNING SATELLITE IMAGERY. A SOMEWHAT WARM START TO THE MORNING CONTINUES ACROSS THE WASATCH FRONT...WITH TEMPERATURES ALREADY 6-8C WARMER THAN YESTERDAY MORNINGS READINGS. 700MB TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO NEAR 8-9C AT SLC WHICH TRANSLATES WELL TO THE CURRENT TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TODAY. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES A FAIR AMOUNT OF HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN AND EASTERN UTAH IN ASSOCIATION WITH A DISTURBANCE QUICKLY MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE GREAT BASIN. UPDATED SKY GRIDS TO INCREASE CLOUD COVER IN THESE AREAS. ALSO INCREASED WINDS DURING THE MORNING HOURS TO BETTER MATCH CURRENT TRENDS. EXPECT A FEW CONVECTIVE CLOUDS TO DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN BUT DO NOT BELIEVE THERE IS ENOUGH MOISTURE OR INSTABILITY TO WARRANT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE AREAS. OTHERWISE...THE CURRENT FORECAST IS ON TRACK AND NO ADDITIONAL UPDATES ARE NEEDED. && .AVIATION...GUSTY SOUTH SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT THE KSLC TERMINAL THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WINDS GUSTS WILL PERIODICALLY REACH AWW CRITERIA THROUGH MOST OF THE AFTERNOON BEFORE DIMINISHING. THERE IS A 20 PERCENT CHANCE THAT A LAKE BREEZE WILL BRING NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE KSLC TERMINAL AFTER 2100 UTC. OUTSIDE OF THE WINDS OPERATIONAL WEATHER CONCERNS WILL REMAIN MINIMAL WITH VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGHOUT THE VALID PERIOD OF THE TAF. && .FIRE WEATHER...WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY WILL BE THE DOMINANT FIRE WEATHER ISSUE TODAY THROUGH TOMORROW ONCE AGAIN. FUELS REMAIN GREEN AT THIS TIME PER LATEST REPORTS BUT THESE WEATHER FACTORS WOULD CREATE HAZARDOUS FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS IF THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. EXTENT OF LOW RH AND BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL EXPAND NORTH THROUGH MOST ALL AREAS TODAY ON THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS A MODERATE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL AID NEAR SURFACE WIND SPEEDS THROUGHOUT. A TRANSITION AWAY FROM DRY/BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN TO BE NOTICED AS EARLY AS SUNDAY NIGHT BUT MORE SO TUESDAY ON AS A SERIES OF PACIFIC STORM SYSTEMS MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN STATES. AT THE LEAST INCREASED HUMIDITY WILL BE REALIZED...BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR WETTING RAINS FROM SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE AS WELL FOR THE TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY TIMEFRAME. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...NONE. WY...NONE. && $$ KRUSE/GRAHAM FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE) FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY/GENERAL/AFD_FAQS.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE) |