SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Happy Monday, Utah! Hopefully, you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. The low pressure that brought the showers and thunderstorms over the weekend continues to retrograde or move west, but with high pressure to our southeast, this results in a southwesterly flow that will be persistent over the coming days.

This will mean that from today through the middle of the workweek, we won’t see too many changes in our weather. Another product of the southwesterly flow will be temperatures running roughly 5-15 degrees above seasonal averages.

For today we’ll see mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies through the bulk of the day, but from the afternoon into the evening we’ll see isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms. The best chance for wet weather will be in the high country with a little better than a 1 in 3 chance while in our valleys the chance is low at roughly a slight chance, but it’s still possible.

For any outdoor activities, it’s important to keep tabs on the weather just in case. If you’re headed to any of the mighty 5 or any of the popular recreational areas in southern Utah it’s important to note that while flash flooding is not probable, it’s possible. For anyone planning on hiking in the backcountry or slot canyons, it’s important to have multiple alerts just in case of flash flooding. 

Daytime highs for most will range from the 70s to 80s while the Wasatch Back mainly sees 60s and 70s. St. George will lead the way today by checking in with low 90s this afternoon. By this evening as we lose the daytime heating the chance for showers and storms will go down resulting in partly cloudy skies in the overnight with lows that will be similar to what we had last night. 

As mentioned, the next couple of days won’t bring a lot of variability in our weather given the setup. Between now and Wednesday, some spots across the state could see multiple rounds of wet weather while others could be completely dry. Really, just depends on where you are and where storms develop each day. Temperatures will continue to range roughly 5-15 degrees above average.

By Thursday that retrograding low pressure will begin to move back to the east in our direction. This will likely result in a better chance for showers and storms statewide on Thursday as our temperatures stay warm. Friday and Saturday look quieter with only a slim chance for a few stray showers and storms, but the wet weather potential could pick back up by the end of the weekend into early next week. While we’re not in monsoon season, the next 7 days will have a monsoon-ish feel given the warm and moisture potential. 

FLOOD ALERTS

Warming temperatures this week mean that flood concerns continue with multiple flood watches and warnings.

We currently have 4 flood warnings in effect. The warning for the Bear River in Rich County has been extended through next Friday. The flood warning for the Sevier River near Hatch and the flood warning for the South Fork of the Ogden River near Huntsville remain in effect until further notice.

The newest flood warning is for the Strawberry River near the Strawberry Reservoir. That will be in effect through Thursday. 

A Flood Advisory is in effect for Blacksmith Fork River near Hyrum affecting Cache County with the flow projected to stay above action stage. The Bear River near Corrine is also under an advisory as farmland and roads see minor flooding near Corinne.

We also have a flood watch for Little Bear River below the Hyrum Dam. For context a flood warning means that flooding is either occurring now or is expected, an advisory means that the waterway is above action stage with the potential for flooding, and a watch means that flooding is possible. Even for waterways not in alerts, they will continue to run high, fast, cold, and extremely dangerous as our snowpack melts and as water is released from reservoirs. Be sure to keep a safe distance from raging waters. 

Stay on top of all of Utah’s changing weather and flood concerns with Utah’s Most Complete Forecast both on-air and online. We are Good4Utah!