SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Happy Friday, Utah! More widespread scattered storms are on deck to close out the end of our work week.

The bottom line? A progressive weather pattern takes hold today with daily potential for showers and thunderstorms. 

Today, Utah has two systems impacting the Beehive State. We have the low moving to our south with another disturbance dropping in from the northwest, so statewide storm potential shows up and keeps our progressive weather pattern cranking. While not everyone will get wet weather today, the potential for scattered storms, some of them strong, will exist for everyone in Utah, so if you have any outdoor plans, it’s best to keep a watchful eye on the skies!

Severe weather over the next couple of days isn’t likely, however, some strong storms are definitely possible today and tomorrow. Storms will be capable of gusty winds, small hail, frequent lightning, and heavy rain.

Friday’s weather brings a marginal risk of excessive rainfall to the I-15 corridor and northeastern Utah, so some brief downpours are possible as well. With increasing rain potential, flash flooding potential increases.

The Mighty Five National Parks will face the possibility of flash flooding today with the exception of Arches, Canyonlands and Grand Gulch. It’s not the time to be in slot canyons or other low-lying areas as storms develop. By tomorrow, Flash Flooding will be a possibility at all of our southern Utah recreation areas and the Mighty 5. For any backcountry hikes that are planned, especially ones involving slot canyons, it might be best to postpone, but at the very least have a plan and multiple ways to get alerts in the case a warning is issued. 

Daytime highs in northern Utah will also trend near average or a few degrees below it today and through the first part of the weekend. For those that get through the day dry we’ll mainly see partly cloudy to partly sunny skies with breezy conditions across the state. Daytime highs will range in the 70s and 80s for most with low to mid 80s along the Wasatch Front. St. George will actually trend a little cooler with upper 80s as a straight southerly flow will lead to upslope cooling.

Heading into the weekend the chance for showers and storms will likely drop a bit, but it won’t be going away as an area of low-pressure meanders around the intermountain west. By early next week forecast models bring in another storm system from the southwest which could result in elevated wet weather potential hanging around through most of next week as daytime highs run near/slightly above averages.

Stay tuned!

FLOOD ALERTS

Spring runoff continues in Utah and flood concerns remain with multiple flood watches and warnings. We currently have two flood warnings in effect.

The warning for the Bear River in Rich County has been extended through Friday. The flood warning for the Sevier River near Hatch is in effect until further notice.

To go along with the flood warnings, we have three flood advisories in effect. These advisories include the Logan River near Logan and the Bear River near Corinne.

Over the last couple of days, we have seen a few cancelations of flood alerts. Those include the south fork of the Ogden River near Huntsville, the Green River near Jensen, and the Colorado River in Grand County.

For context, a flood warning means that flooding is either occurring now or is expected, an advisory means that either minor flooding is occurring or 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 Accurate Forecast both on-air and online. We are Good4Utah!