Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Say goodbye to those comfortable 80s and hello to that mothballed jacket — the fall season's first significant storm this week is expected to drop high temperatures by as much as 30 degrees.
Overall, northern Utah residents could feel careening temperature variations of as much as 50 degrees — daytime highs that were in the low 80s on Monday to lows that get into the 30s by Thursday evening, acccording to Kevin Eubank, meteorologist with KSL TV.
"I think we are done with the 80s," he said, noting that September's extra dry, extra warm weather pattern mirrored what happened in September of 2010.
"We started out the same way and then were hit with a storm in early October," he said. "It was exactly almost the same pattern — ski resorts were talking about opening for Halloween."
The storm is expected to deliver the season's first significant mountain snowfall, with up to 12 inches forecast for the mountains above 8,000 feet.
Eubank can't say if this year's snowpack is going to measure up to record levels set in much of the state with the water year that just ended Saturday — logging in as the fourth wettest year on record for Utah.
He does note the mercurial weather pattern of Tuesday — sudden bursts of showers followed by sunny skies — will be replicated Wednesday as south winds pick up to usher in the cold front's arrival.
"We're going to have a mix of sun and clouds and wind and temperatures in the 60s. Then it is going to crash."
Thursday there will be valley-wide rain that is heavy at times, making for a tough, drizzling commute.
The storm is expected to deliver the season's first significant mountain snowfall, with up to 12 inches forecast for the mountains above 8,000 feet, Eubank said. That snow level could drop as low as 6,000 feet by Thursday evening into Friday morning, and Eubank said areas such as Park City and Heber City should expect to be impacted.
Valley temperatures should not drop enough that swamp coolers are going to freeze, but Eubank does warn that trailers and other recreational property parked high in the mountains ought to be hauled out — and soon.
"They may not get them out."
Email:aodonoghue@ksl.com
