SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Happy Wednesday, Utah! A potent cold front is sweeping through Utah, and is bringing colder air, scattered valley rain showers, and mountain snow today and tomorrow.

The bottom line? A cold front is ushering in big changes for our Wednesday with much cooler temperatures and valley rain and mountain snow.

Our high temperatures take a major dip today and drop into the 40s and 50s for most in northern Utah while down in southern Utah. Highs will range between the 50s and 60s with a few spots like St. George only managing the 70s. Expect scattered showers today and isolated showers Thursday, and given the cooler temperatures and moisture, we’ll see valley rain and mountain snow.

The snow line in northern Utah will start around 8,000 feet tomorrow morning but by tomorrow night, it could fall as low as 6,500 feet. This means places like Park City could receive its first snowfall of the year with minor accumulations being possible between 6,500 and 7,500 feet in northern Utah!

Above 8,000 feet, several inches plus look possible. There’s a winter weather advisory in place for the Wasatch Mountains and the western Uintas that will run from 9 a.m. this morning through noon on Thursday. Within the advisory, two to eight inches is expected and for the highest peaks like the high Uintas and upper Cottonwoods, over a foot of snow can’t be ruled out. This will especially be the case in the upper Cottonwoods if we get lake effect/lake-enhanced showers. Lake enhancement looks possible for Thursday morning and afternoon in Northern Utah.

Ahead of the cold front, we have seen an increase in winds and while the front tracks southeast throughout the day, winds will uptick towards the Four Corners. West winds will be gusting up to 45 miles per hour near Blanding and Bluff. A wind advisory has been issued for the area starting at noon and holding on through 7 p.m. Make sure if you live in the area, to secure loose objects and if traveling through,  use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high-profile vehicle. 

Wrap-around showers will be possible through the first half of Thursday in northern Utah as we stay cool, but wet weather will begin to exit by the second half of the day into Thursday night. High pressure will build back in to round out the workweek as temperatures begin to moderate. On Friday highs will be about five to seven degrees below normal compared to the five to 15 below Wednesday and Thursday. 

Before temperatures begin to moderate, both Wednesday and Thursday nights will be chilly! Some of the coldest air of the season arrives with overnight lows falling into the 30s and 40s for most with some dropping to near or below freezing. Along the Wasatch Front, we’ll see lows in the upper 30s and low 40s, but for the Wasatch Back, lows will be around freezing. Meanwhile, there are some freeze watches that will go into effect. Areas included in the freeze watches include Tooele County, the Rush Valley, outlying areas 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, especially near Bicknell and Loa. In these areas, overnight temperatures could drop as low as 28 degrees, which is a season-ending event for sensitive vegetation. 

Temperatures will moderate to near seasonal norms over the weekend with mostly dry skies as high pressure builds back in. That should lead to some dry weather and a few clouds for the annular solar eclipse we’ll be able to see here in Utah!

The “Ring of Fire” eclipse occurs when the moon blocks out the sun and parts of Utah have the chance of a great view. By the time the annular solar eclipse flies over the state on Saturday morning, temperatures in Northern Utah will be in the upper 60s, and in the upper 70s for southern Utah. Right now, it looks like the potential for mostly clear skies and mild temperatures for most viewing areas and that will allow Utahns to take advantage of seeing this rare celestial event!

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!