Heavy Snow in Utah, April 12, 2001

UTAH AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
425 AM MDT THU APR 12 2001

SYNOPSIS...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA
TODAY. A SOMEWHAT MOIST WESTERLY FLOW WILL FOLLOW FOR NORTHERN
UTAH TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...WHILE THE SOUTH DRIES OUT.

DISCUSSION...COLD FRONT MOVING THRU WESTERN FORECAST AREA AT THIS
TIME WILL CONTINUE TO MARCH ACROSS THE STATE TODAY AND BE EAST OF OUR
AREA BY THIS EVE. SYSTEM IS WEAKENING AS IT MOVES THRU, BUT THERE IS
ENOUGH PUNCH LEFT TO GIVE THE AREA A DECENT PRECIP EVENT.  AM A
BIT CONCERNED THAT AIRMASS WON'T GET COLD ENOUGH SOON ENOUGH FOR
ADVISORY LEVEL ACCUMULATIONS ON WASATCH FRONT VALLEY FLOORS BUT
BENCHES SHOULD DO FINE, AS WILL THE CACHE. DURATION MAY BE A PROBLEM
FOR THE SOUTHWEST VALLEYS, BUT PORTIONS OF THESE ZONES WILL GET OVER
2 INCHES BY NOON. THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD ALSO END UP WITH ABOUT MID
LEVEL ADVISORY AMOUNTS, BUT HERE THE CONCERN IS SOME LOCATIONS MAY DO
BETTER SUCH AS THE MOUNTAINS ADJACENT TO THE WASATCH FRONT.

OVERALL, CURRENT ADVISORIES ARE ABOUT RIGHT AND WILL KEEP THEM AS
THEY ARE WITH THIS PACKAGE. UPSTREAM TROF NOW MOVING INTO PAC NW
SENDS A LEADING SHORT WAVE RAPIDLY SEWD FAST ENOUGH TO AFFECT THE
NORTHERN ZONES TONIGHT. THIS MAY KEEP THE SNOW GOING IN SOME OF THE
NRN MTNS AS WELL AS A CHANCE FOR THE NWRN VALLEYS. HAVE INDICATED
THIS IN THE FORECASTS, BUT THE SNOW ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED.
MODELS SORT OF WASH OUT THIS TROF AS IT MOVES INTO THE WEST, BUT DO
KEEP ENOUGH ORGANIZATION TO IT FOR A THREAT OF PRECIP FRI INTO SAT
FOR THE NORTH, WITH THE BEST CHANCE SAT MORNING AS THE TROF AXIS
SLIDES PAST.

RIDGE THEN BUILDS SUN AND KEEPS FORECAST AREA DRY THROUGH MID WEEK
WITH TEMPS RETURNING TO NEAR OR EVEN ABOVE NORMAL.

SLC +33  CDC 8-0 WILENSKY

.SLC...SNOW ADVISORY TODAY MOUNTAINS AND NORTHWEST VALLEYS...
        IDZ024-025-UTZ001>004-006>010-017
       SNOW ADVISORY $THIS MORNING SOUTHWEST VALLEYS...UTZ014>016.