TL:DR; Modest snow accumulations overnight and into Saturday morning. A high pressure system will move in afterwards making for dry conditions and a lengthy inversion.
Nowcast: Currently there are some thin high level clouds over the Wasatch. More clouds will develop throughout the day as a slight low pressure system moves over Utah throughout today/tonight. Canyon temps are in the upper teens and will rise to the high 20’s/low 30’s with light winds (<10 mph) from the west. Here’s a pic of Albion Basin this morning:
Short-Term Forecast: With the low pressure system moving in, there will be modest snow accumulations starting late this evening and continuing into Saturday morning. The GFS shows the system primarily trending towards Central Utah where the largest precip amounts are expected. Total snow amounts for the central wasatch will range from 2-4″ with a SLR between 10-15. It is uncertain whether there will be any snowfall in the Valley. Winds are expected to increase slightly but remain gentle around 10 mph overnight with gusts reaching up to 30 mph on the upper ridgelines.
Long-Term Forecast: Enjoy the small amount of snow while it’s here, as a ridge will be moving in after Saturday and looks stubborn enough to stick around. Each ensemble model suggests this high pressure will remain in place over Utah for much of next week. In addition, warming aloft will create ideal inversion conditions in the valley.
Air quality is expected to become very poor next week as the inversion contains pollution within the valley. Please be conscious of your emissions during this time.
Corey