000
FXUS65 KSLC 071132
AFDSLC
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
430 AM MST WED JAN 7 2009
.SYNOPSIS...A MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL MOVE INTO THE GREAT BASIN
FOR LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT PACIFIC WEATHER
SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT THROUGH UTAH THURSDAY
NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY.
&&
.DISCUSSION...HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT ALONG THE WEST COAST WILL MAINTAIN
A RATHER MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH
TONIGHT. WARM ADVECTION ALOFT STILL GENERATING MODEST LIFT ACROSS
NRN UTAH...WITH POCKETS OF LIGHT PRECIP LINGERING ACROSS NRN UTAH.
LATEST SATELLITE ANIMATION SHOWS ANOTHER SURGE OF MOISTURE WORKING
INTO SE IDAHO AT TIME. SUSPECT THAT THIS WILL KEEP SOME SNOW GOING
OVER THE FAR NRN MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING. LOWER VALLEYS LOCATIONS UP
NORTH COULD ALSO SEE LIGHT PRECIP THIS MORNING. THIS PRECIP WILL BE
A RAIN/SNOW MIX FOR THE MOST PART AS THE COLD AIR TRAPPED IN THE NRN
VALLEYS THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS HAS FINALLY MIXED OUT.
THE COASTAL RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST INTO UTAH LATER TONIGHT/THURSDAY.
MILD TEMPS AND MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AS A WARM
W-SW FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPS AHEAD OF THE NEXT PACIFIC TROUGH SCHEDULED
TO ARRIVE THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY. THIS NEXT TROUGH SO FAR DOES NOT
LOOK ALL THAT WELL PUT TOGETHER. THE SURFACE FRONT IN THE GUIDANCE
LOOKS POORLY DEFINED AS IT MOVES IN AHEAD OF THE MAIN TROUGH. THE
NEAR 700 MB COLD ADVECTION DOES LOOK STRONG...BUT THE MID-LEVEL COLD
POOL ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH APPEARS TO REMAIN OVER NRN UTAH/SE
IDAHO. THE NRN HALF OF UTAH SHOULD GET A DECENT SHOT OF PRECIP AS
THIS FEATURE MOVES THROUGH...WITH SRN UTAH COMING UP A BIT SHORT AS
THE MID-LEVEL COLD AIR TRACKS THROUGH NE UTAH/WRN COLORADO.
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT ALONG THE WEST COAST LATE IN THE WEEKEND
THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK SHOULD MAINTAIN A GENERALLY
STABLE N-NW FLOW INTO THE GREAT BASIN. AIR QUALITY ISSUES WILL
DEVELOP OVER THE NW URBAN AREAS IN THIS STABLE PATTERN. EMBEDDED
SHORTWAVES MAY OFFER SOME HOPE OF TURNING OVER THE AIRMASS...BUT IN
ALL LIKELIHOOD URBAN HAZE WILL STEADILY BUILD OVER THE THE NW
VALLEYS THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT THE
SLC TERMINAL...THOUGH CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO HOVER AROUND 6000 FT
AGL. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST THROUGHOUT THE
DAY...BUT MAY BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE THIS AFTERNOON.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
&&
$$
PUBLIC...CONGER
AVIATION...TRAPHAGAN
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)
