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SALT LAKE CITY — The same storm system that caused widespread flooding to areas north of Utah, including a shutdown of Yellowstone National Park, produced up to a half-inch of much-needed rain in parts of Utah on Monday, according to National Weather Service.
And it's possible that more rain is on the way after another miniature heat wave forecast for later in the week.
Multiple stations in the Cottonwood Canyons received over 0.8 inches of rain on Monday, according to the weather service. Some even received a trace of snow. Wellsville, in Cache County, was Monday morning's winner, collecting 0.54 inches of rain by 9 a.m., from the storm that caught the northern half of Utah as the first stage of the storm moved through from the Pacific Northwest.
Among other places, Salt Lake City officially received 0.34 inches on Monday. The city still remains 2.07 inches below normal for this point in the water year and 3.76 inches below normal in the calendar year; however, Monday's rain accounts for more than one-third of the city's entire 30-year June normal.
The storm cleared out of Utah Tuesday morning. KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson explained that dry air blowing in from the south prevented the system from producing even more rain; however, given the drought and summer averages, there's no reason to complain about what fell in the state.
"For a mid-June storm, it's impressive," he said.
The storm system also knocked high temperatures down by about 30 degrees across the state. Places like Bryce Canyon, Ephraim, Manti, Panguitch and Randolph dealt with freezing overnight temperatures Tuesday. Randolph may also have that again early Wednesday.
The reprieve from the heat won't last long. High temperatures are forecast to return to near 100 degrees along the Wasatch Front Thursday and Friday, much like the conditions before Monday's rain. Salt Lake City's 102 degrees on Sunday beat a previous daily record set in 1918.
Triple-digit temperatures are also forecast for southern parts of the state by the end of the week.
However, more rain is possible by the weekend. Johnson said a "temporary monsoonal surge" is projected to reach as far north as Salt Lake City this upcoming weekend, resulting in some additional June rain and thunderstorms. The likelihood of precipitation is currently about 10% to 40%, depending on the location, according to Johnson.
"We'll take the heat as long as it comes with some showers, hopefully," he said.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.
