Jamiesfeast – Good evening everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying the weather because next week is going to be rainy. Our featured photo for today was generously shared by Ashley Romero, a viewer from Iron County. The picturesque beauty of the area near Duck Creek is truly captivating, especially during this time of year. Although, I must say, it remains stunning throughout all seasons. Now, let’s dive into the exciting updates ahead!
The jetstream has extended further south, resulting in our storm drawing in warmer water from the tropics. This will lead to a significant amount of rainfall, also known as an atmospheric river event. You may have heard this term mentioned on the news. In the image provided, we can observe the upper level winds at around 18,000 FT. The jetstream is seen moving southwards, crossing the tropic of cancer (Hot Pink Line), before curving back northwards as it attempts to circulate an area of low pressure. Utah is expected to experience the brunt of this weather pattern for several days. The scale at the bottom of the map indicates wind speeds in Knots. To convert to MPH, simply multiply the speed in knots by 1.15 (V x 1.15).
Sunday will be a relatively calm day, serving as the calm before the storm. However, there will be some exceptions in FAR Southwestern Utah, where isolated rain, snow, thunderstorms, and showers are expected to pass through. Additionally, Lincoln County, NV will experience increasing shower activity throughout the afternoon, with some areas receiving snow instead of rain. By midnight, most areas within the green shaded region will have received at least a small amount of rain, with the snow level starting at around 5500 FT. It is not until Monday when the heaviest rain is anticipated in Utah. As there is not a significant amount of snow expected on Sunday, I will release the final snow total map once I have a clearer understanding of the allocation of precipitation.
Get ready for the high wind watch! While we can expect a breeze from this storm, brace yourself for the possibility of mountain areas experiencing gusts of up to 60 MPH. The orange outline box highlights the regions that might encounter gusts exceeding 40 MPH, while the shaded areas indicate that gusts could reach 60 MPH or even higher during the peak of the wind storm. With sustained winds reaching around 30 MPH, this watch will certainly make its presence known. Prepare for the howling gusts that will take effect from 5:00 PM MDT and last until 11:59 PM on Tuesday night.
I’ll be back tomorrow to provide updates on snow totals and the risk of thunderstorms. In the meantime, stay safe on the roads and make the most of the weather.