Advisories issued for storm could produce valley snow, strong mountain totals in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's northern valleys could receive their first snow of the season from a storm that may disrupt post-Thanksgiving travel this weekend.

However, it'll pack more of a much-needed punch in the region's mountains, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a winter weather advisory for parts of the state's mountains, where up to a foot of snow is possible. The incoming storm can help out resorts that have had to delay their openings because of low snow totals so far this season.

"This system is mainly targeting northern Utah. We'll get a little bit of it in our central and southern mountains," said KSL meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke.

Storm timing

A cold front has already passed through Utah's northern half, dropping high temperatures across the Wasatch Front from the mid-50s on Friday to the mid-to-lower 40s on Saturday. A storm coming from the Pacific Northwest is forecast to arrive in northern Utah early Sunday.

"Snow starts to come in ... from the (Utah-Idaho) border down to the Wasatch Front, snow coming down," she said. "Driving on Sunday morning could be a little tricky. ... It could be sticking to the roads at this point."

Showers are expected to linger into the afternoon, while the system also makes it way into central and southern Utah. It'll remain in those regions Sunday evening, but it'll fizzle as it moves south, causing the showers to become more isolated, she added. The system is expected to clear out of the state by late Sunday or early Monday.

Potential accumulations

The weather service's advisory covers the Wasatch, West Uinta and central and Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs ranges, where 4 to 8 inches of snow is possible by the end of Sunday. Totals closer to a foot of snow are possible in the Cottonwood Canyons and Wasatch Plateau.

Places like Alta have a 27% chance of receiving a foot of snow, while Brighton Resort also has a decent shot, according to National Weather Service models updated on Saturday. While not included in the alert, parts of the southern mountains could still wind up with a few inches of snow.

An inch or two of snow is projected for the Wasatch Back, as well as the benches across the Wasatch Front and northern Utah, Van Dyke said.

At least a dusting of snow is possible at the valley floors, though some communities have a better probability than others. Salt Lake City now has a 22% probability of receiving at least 0.1 inches of snow, which would be its first measurable snow of the season, per the weather service. Ogden and Logan have higher probabilities. They may end up with closer to an inch of snow.

Regardless of snow, the weather service projects that the storm could produce 0.2 to 0.5 inches of precipitation across the Wasatch Front and northern Utah. Lower totals are projected across central and southern Utah, where some communities may not receive any moisture.

More to come?

The forecast is good news for Utah's 15 resorts. Solitude Mountain Resort opened on Thursday, joining Brian Head Resort in southern Utah, but Brighton Resort announced it plans to open on Tuesday now. Many other resorts have pushed their openings to December or are waiting on snow before announcing their opening dates.

And more snow could be on the way. While Monday will likely be dry, Van Dyke said models indicate that more moisture is possible across the state on Tuesday and Wednesday. High temperatures are forecast to remain in the 40s across the Wasatch Front and northern Utah next week, as well.

"It's definitely going to feel more like the holidays," she said.

Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online, at the KSL Weather Center.

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