SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Happy Wednesday, Utah! Utah’s weather has taken a sharp turn, with a significant drop in temperatures and moisture moving in. Expect scattered showers this afternoon and evening with isolated showers on Thursday.

Temperatures have fallen from the mild conditions over the past few days with highs only in the 50s for the Wasatch Front today, and mid-70s for St. George.

Valley rain and mountain snowfall will continue off and on into the overnight hours with the snowline in northern Utah dropping to as low as 6,500-7,000 feet overnight. Park City and similar areas could receive their first snowfall of the year, with minor accumulations, if any, expected between 6,500 and 7,500 feet.

For elevations above 8,000 feet, several inches of snow or more are possible. A winter weather advisory has been issued for the Wasatch Mountains and the western Uintas, in effect through noon on Thursday. Within this advisory, expect 2-8 inches of snow, while the highest peaks, like the high Uintas and Upper Cottonwoods, might even witness over a foot of snow, particularly if lake effect or lake-enhanced showers occur.

Lake effect snowfall is expected to set up overnight and may continue Thursday. 

If the band forms, mountain ranges south and east of the lake could pick up more snowfall. In the best-case scenario, the Upper Cottonwoods could see as much as 15-18 inches of snowfall by the time the storm exits the state Thursday evening. Wrap-around showers are expected to linger on Thursday in the northern valleys with isolated showers potential. The best chance of rain will be before noon.  

As the storm lifts northeast, high pressure will then return marking the end of the workweek with gradually moderating temperatures. Friday’s highs will be 5-7 degrees below normal, a significant improvement from the 5-15 degree drop seen on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Before temperatures begin to rebound, Wednesday and Thursday nights will be notably chilly. Overnight lows will drop into the 30s and 40s for most areas, with some even nearing or falling below freezing.

Along the Wasatch Front, expect lows in the upper 30s and low 40s, while the Wasatch Back will see lows hovering around the freezing mark.

Freeze warnings have been issued for various areas, including Tooele County, the Rush Valley, outlying parts of southern Utah County, the western Uinta Basin, Millard and Juab Counties, the Sanpete and Sevier Valleys, Castle Country, southwest Utah, and the Capitol Reef National Park area. Overnight temperatures in these locations could plummet as low as 28 degrees, posing a threat to sensitive vegetation and exposed pipes. 

The coldest morning will be Friday morning as skies will have cleared allowing for the most cooling to take place. 

After these weather fluctuations, temperatures are set to return to near-seasonal norms over the weekend. The good news is that high pressure is expected to dominate, paving the way for mostly dry skies.

This will create ideal conditions for the annular solar eclipse, often referred to as the “Ring of Fire” eclipse. During this event, the moon will partially obscure the sun, offering an exciting celestial view. As the eclipse passes over Utah on Saturday morning, northern Utah will enjoy temperatures in the upper 60s, while southern Utah will experience highs in the upper 70s.

Current forecasts suggest mostly clear skies with only high clouds moving through, should be good weather for viewing the eclipse at this point. Dry and warm weather will return for the next work week as well with slightly above normal temperatures returning to northern Utah.  

With Utah’s 4Warn Forecast, both on-air and online, you can stay on top of all the weather changes the Beehive State has to offer. We are Good4Utah!