SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Happy Tuesday, Utah! Spring fever is hitting hard with a warming trend allowing several cities to flirt with records today.

The bottom line? Our spring feeling ramps up even more Tuesday with highs within shouting distance of records before a storm brings changes late week!

Temperatures have soared above average thanks to an area of high pressure that remains firmly in control of our weather. You can expect 70s to dot the temperature map in Utah with Salt Lake climbing into the upper 70s yet again and flirting with the record high of 80 degrees. vWe will see plenty of 70s along the Wasatch Front and into Central Utah while in St. Geoge they will be flirting with 90 degrees and enjoying a lot of sunshine.  

These daytime highs will be more than 15 degrees above average for most locations yet again. We get another pleasant day, but one of the reasons we could see highs climb a little higher is the wind. Our area of high-pressure slides slightly to the east today, and that opens the door for an increased southerly flow. The southerly winds are known to help temperatures jump, so it will be a day where our major cities are near the record highs for the day. 

While many of us are enjoying sunny skies and dry conditions, this rapid warming trend does usher in some concerns. Ask anyone who travels in the Cottonwood Canyons, natural avalanches continue to occur. High avalanche danger holds on especially in Northern Utah because we currently have more snowpack than in years past, a very high sun angle and very warm, above-average temperatures.

The base of the snowpack is weakening and unstable conditions will continue to ripen. There is an avalanche warning for most of northern Utah, but it doesn’t just include the mountains, it also includes the foothills as well in the Cache and Ogen valleys. Be sure to avoid and stay off slopes greater than 30 degrees and avoid avalanche runout areas. We have seen an avalanche warning this week, but even if one is not issued, backcountry dangers still exist. 

These warming temperatures have also accelerated lower-elevation snow melt and runoff through the state. Right now, the only flood watch in our area is in NE Nevada which is in effect through tonight. In Utah, there are no watches, warnings, or flood advisories. However, some rivers and streams over the next few days will be running high, swift, and cold. Be sure to keep any kids or pets away from these areas.

Enhanced runoff is expected primarily in lower elevations with the possibility for mid-elevations as well. Slot canyons, especially in southern Utah, may be inundated with runoff so be sure to avoid any backcountry hazards. To prepare yourself it is advised to clear deep snow from foundations and clear drainage paths. 

With the slight movement of the high, we will welcome in a quick-moving system that arrives Wednesday night and will bring some minor impacts to the second half of the workweek. A cold front will move across the state from late Wednesday through Thursday which will also bring us a chance for some wet weather with mainly valley rain and mountain snow. By Thursday daytime highs will roughly be 15-25 degrees cooler compared to what we have on Tuesday.

A few lingering showers look possible on Friday, but high pressure looks to set up shop going into the weekend with temperatures set to rebound through the weekend with sunshine.

For all the latest on the weather, be sure to keep it on Utah’s Most Accurate Forecast! ABC4, we are Good4Utah!