- Unsettled weather returns to Utah starting Monday night and lasting most of the rest of the week.
- A winter storm watch is issued for Utah's mountains, with 1-2 feet or more of snow expected by Wednesday.
- Valley floors could receive heaviest snow of the winter so far, but totals remain uncertain.
SALT LAKE CITY — A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of Utah's mountains ahead of a system that could produce 1 to 2 feet of additional snow or more by the middle of the week.
The National Weather Service issued a few winter weather advisories for parts of other Utah ranges from the storm that could potentially deliver some snow in Utah's valleys.
"The storm door opens (this) week. It's going to be very unsettled starting Monday night," said KSL meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke.
An active pattern continues this week
Last week's storm ultimately delivered over a foot of snow across the Cottonwood canyons, and the incoming system is even larger. It's moving into Utah from the Pacific Coast, providing moisture all over the West as it moves east, but it will be warm and breezy across Utah first.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for most of Utah's western edge, where gusts of 50 mph are forecast from Monday morning through early Tuesday.
A mixture of valley rain and mountain snow will arrive by Monday night, lingering into Tuesday, Van Dyke said.
A rain-snow mix or rain transitioning to snow in the valleys is possible as a cold front sweeps through the state. Most of it will be snow by Tuesday night as temperatures cool, which may continue into Wednesday morning across many parts of Utah.
"That's going to bring the potential for a snowy commute that we have not really dealt with this winter season," she said.
An approaching winter storm is expected to bring multiple rounds of mountain snowfall across Utah from Monday night through Thursday afternoon. The first period of heavy mountain snow is expected on Monday night, with the second round anticipated by Wednesday. #UTwxpic.twitter.com/XYCUEHlLtj
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) February 15, 2026
Clearer conditions are possible later in the day, but a chance of a flurry or two are possible on Thursday and Friday, especially across Utah's northern half. Another system could pass through the state on Saturday, bringing even more moisture to the state.
Snow accumulations
The National Weather Service's watches and advisories cover the first few days of the pattern. Those project:
- 1 to 2 feet of snow across the Wasatch and Western Uinta Mountains, as well as the Wasatch Back, by late Wednesday. Accumulations could reach closer to 3 feet in the upper Cottonwood canyons by then.
- 8 to 18 inches of snow in the southern mountains. Accumulations closer to 2 feet are possible near Brian Head and the Tushar range.
- 5 to 10 inches of snow is possible in the Eastern Uinta, La Sal and Abajo Mountains.
Wind gusts up to 55 to 60 mph could create blowing snow and "hazardous conditions" for people traveling through mountain passes, the alerts state. Traction laws are likely to be enforced across several mountain routes as the storm arrives.
Valley benches could receive a few inches of snow, but valley floor snow accumulations will likely depend on a few variables, including where the snow line sets up. Some communities may end up with little snow or a trace — or a few inches.
Provo, for instance, is projected to receive approximately an inch of snow by early Wednesday, but there's a 28% chance it receives at least 4 inches of snow by then, according to one weather service model updated on Sunday.
Many communities across the state have these types of ranges, but federal forecasters add that stronger totals are possible everywhere but St. George, beginning on Wednesday.
Snow accumulations will become clearer as the system approaches. The same goes for overall precipitation throughout the second half of the week, but the agency adds that the Wasatch Front and northern Utah communities could receive 0.3 to 0.7 inches or more of precipitation by early Wednesday. Parts of Salt Lake and Tooele counties could be closer to the lower end because of wind effects.
However, it could be Utah's biggest week of snow, considering this winter has produced nearly nothing.
Salt Lake City has still only recorded 0.1 inches of snow this winter, which would shatter its previous record for lowest snow total since its records were first kept in 1874. It's representative of many other communities across the state.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.
