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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's capital city already matched its all-time record for the earliest 70-degree day of the year earlier this month; now its earliest 80-degree day on record is destined to be broken this weekend.
Unseasonably warm temperatures are already here across the state, as the high reached near 70 degrees Fahrenheit across the Wasatch Front on Thursday afternoon. Temperatures across the region are expected to reach the mid-70s, going from unseasonably warm to potentially record-breaking. Salt Lake City's record high for March 25 is 75 degrees.
It only warms up from there. The forecast currently calls for a high of 79 degrees on Saturday and 81 degrees on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. The service's meteorologists say there's an 83% chance the city's all-time March 26 record high of 78 degrees will be broken, and a 99% chance the all-time March 27 record high of 76 degrees will fall, too.
The earliest 80-degree day in Salt Lake City history was set on March 31, 2012. The city matched its earliest 70-degree day on record back on March 3, when it reached 71 degrees at the Salt Lake City International Airport. The previous 70-degree day record was first set on March 3, 1921.
Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front aren't alone in the record-breaking warmth.
"We're going to see a lot of records, perhaps, this weekend in many towns," said KSL meteorologist Grant Weyman.
The weather service lists highs of 89 degrees both Saturday and Sunday in St. George, with a 75% probability the southern Utah city will break its March 26 record of 85 degrees. Cedar City's highs are in the mid-70s over the weekend, likely breaking daily records in the low-70s for both days.
📈 Chance for record temperatures this weekend is on the rise. Many valley locations will see temperatures well into the 70s or even the low 80s, while St George may challenge the 90°F mark. #utwxpic.twitter.com/lYWQUdfW7O
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) March 24, 2022
The typical high-pressure pattern is behind this weekend's projected record warmth. The system, situated over the West, is helping push warm air into the state and keep clouds at bay.
"It's hard to find a storm nearby," Weyman said. "The next couple of days, we're getting extra warm."
But the record warmth likely won't stay beyond the weekend. Weyman said a "much-needed" storm that remains off the shore of the Pacific Northwest on Thursday will eventually make its way toward Utah, likely providing valley rain and mountain snow early next week.
The storm is currently expected to arrive late Monday or early Tuesday, where highs drop from the low-70s Monday to the mid-50s Tuesday. Some showers may linger into Wednesday, Weyman added.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.
