Freeze Warning 7, NWS Salt Lake City, UT

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
1038 PM MDT Tue Apr 14 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Freezing conditions will occur across central and southern
  valley locations tonight into Wednesday morning.

- A strong cold front will bring accumulating valley snow to
  northern Utah Thursday afternoon into Thursday night, with snow
  showers continuing into Friday morning. Snow may impact both the
  Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes along the Wasatch
  Front.

- Very cold temperatures in the teens to upper 20s will occur
  across most valleys of Utah Thursday night into Friday morning
  and each subsequent overnight period through Sunday morning.
  Temperatures this cold can freeze sprinkler systems and cause
  widespread fruit orchard blossom death. Consider re-winterizing
  sprinkler systems to avoid property damage.

&&

.DISCUSSION...Late this evening, showers have largely diminished
across the area, with only isolated areas of low-level clouds
still lingering as mid-level heights gradually rise. Clearing
skies overnight will allow temperatures to drop down to below
freezing again across many valleys in central/southern Utah,
indicated by the ongoing Freeze Warnings. However, expect a brief
respite after tonight as warmer, southwesterly flow develops
through the day on Wednesday under shortwave ridging. Isolated
showers and thunderstorms may still develop during the afternoon,
mainly across northern Utah.

The warmth will not last. A potent trough will quickly dive
southward through the PacNW Wednesday night bringing a strong
cold front through Utah and southwest Wyoming between mid Thursday
morning and late Thursday night. This system, while dynamically
strong, moves through fairly quickly and has only modest moisture,
likely limiting snow amounts even though snow levels are expected
to dip below valley floors. The main threat will be widespread
freezing temperatures, which could impact crops, gardens, and
unprotected sprinkler systems.

This cold front is likely to enter northwestern Utah by late
Thursday morning, moving through the Wasatch Front between 3-6PM
and reaching southeastern Utah after 3AM or so. Along and just
behind this front, expect a stark transition to northwesterly
winds and a period of heavier snow, particularly across northern
Utah. In the valleys, while rain will quickly transition to snow,
warm antecedent surface temperatures could cause a delay in any
accumulating snow...though we will still be watching snow chances
in time for the Thursday evening commute. Another area worth
watching will be the I-15 corridor between Nephi and Cedar City,
as this area tends to do well in northwest flow. In the
mountains, could see snowfall rates in excess of 1"/hr,
particularly as snow ratios rise behind the front and especially
in areas favored in northwest flow such as the Upper Cottonwoods.

Forecast snow amounts are highest across northern Utah where the
best moisture and dynamics are maximized. The northern mountains,
for example, can expect around 6-12 inches of snow, though models
have trended slightly lower in recent runs. Valley snow amounts
have also trended a bit lower, with 1-2 inches likely across
northern valleys (2-5 inches in the Wasatch Back).

One area of uncertainty that could result in underforecast snow
amounts is the potential for lake-effect snow early Friday
morning downwind of the Great Salt Lake. The environment looks
mostly favorable, with steep low-level lapse rates and a very
cold air mass over a warm lake. The main question is how much
moisture will linger in the low levels, and if it will be enough
to generate lake-effect showers. Northwest to west-northwesterly
flow looks to lighten up more by Friday morning, which would favor
a more cellular mode, though the lake-land temperature difference
will be pretty substantive by that point, which could favor a
heavier band setting up. Either way, it'll be interesting to see
how showers evolve...if moisture hangs on long enough.

Widespread freezing temperatures are expected by Friday morning across
all of Utah and southwest Wyoming except Lower Washington County,
lower elevations of Zion NP, and areas near Lake Powell. Some
areas could even see low temperatures below freezing through the
weekend before temperatures rebound enough.

Although quieter conditions are expected for the weekend, model
guidance suggests more active weather returning. The main question
is when this happens; some models suggests a closed low moves
through the area by late Tuesday, and others suggest high pressure
sticks around for a couple more days.

&&

.AVIATION...KSLC...The SLC terminal will see VFR conditions
continue tonight through Wednesday. Mostly clear skies can be
expected overnight, with CIGS between 10-12kft AGL developing
Wednesday afternoon. Winds will prevail out of the southeast
overnight, increasing in speed by late Wednesday morning. Winds are
then expected to shift to west-southwesterly (230-270 degrees) by
midafternoon.

.REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...VFR conditions will continue
tonight through Wednesday. Mostly clear skies can be expected
overnight, with CIGS between 14-17kft MSL developing across northern
through west-central Utah along with southwest Wyoming Wednesday
afternoon. Meanwhile, southern Utah will see scattered high clouds
for Wednesday. Otherwise, increasing southwesterly winds can be
expected across most terminals Wednesday afternoon.

&&

.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...Freeze Watch from Thursday evening through Friday morning for
     UTZ102>106-114>116-118>122-129.

     Freeze Warning until 9 AM MDT Wednesday for UTZ114>116-118>122-
     130.

WY...None.
&&

Cunningham/Cheng

For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/saltlakecity