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- A winter advisory is issued for some of Utah's mountains, which could receive up to a foot of snow or more this weekend.
- Valley communities will see rain late Friday and early Saturday.
- Warmer temperatures forecast for next week, including highs in the mid-70s along the Wasatch Front.
SALT LAKE CITY — Another wintry storm heading toward Utah could dump up to a foot of snow or more in some of the state's mountains this weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a winter advisory for the Wasatch, western Uinta and Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs mountains, which are expected to receive 5-10 inches of snow. "Locally higher" totals up to 16 inches are possible in the upper Cottonwood canyons and parts of the Bear River range.
KSL meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke said Wasatch Front and northern Utah valleys will end up with rain this time around after several communities, including Salt Lake City, received their largest single-storm snowfall earlier this week.
Much warmer temperatures are forecast next week after the latest storm passes.
"By Sunday, we are really going to see some beautiful weather setting up over us," Van Dyke said.
Storm timing and accumulations
The storm is headed Utah's way via the Pacific Coast, but it won't be as strong or as cold as some of the other recent systems. Van Dyke said a mix of valley rain and mountain snow is set to arrive across Utah's northern half Friday evening before the storms pick up in intensity by early Saturday.
"If you do have dinner plans, you may run into a sprinkle or two out there along the Wasatch Front, and then it gets a little intense later," she said. "Temperatures will stay well above freezing, so we'll have valley rain (and) more mountain snow."
Most of the moisture is expected to pass through during overnight hours, but some lingering showers are possible into Saturday afternoon before the storm clears out.
More snow is on tap for the mountains of northern Utah late Friday into Saturday with the passage of a shortwave. Valley locations will see rain, but the snow could cause some travel difficulties along northern Utah mountain routes. #utwxpic.twitter.com/ePsPih3gyn
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) March 21, 2025
The weather service's advisories go into effect at 8 p.m. Friday and last through 4 p.m. on Saturday. While not included in the advisory, Van Dyke adds that parts of the Wasatch Back could also receive a few inches of snow from the storm.
Forecasters urge drivers to slow down and prepare for "winter driving conditions" along mountain passes, especially for those looking to recreate in the mountains on Saturday. The extra snow could also help some of the state's snowpack basins reach their average seasonal peaks with a few weeks left to go in the state's snowpack collection period.
Wasatch Front and northern Utah communities could end up with a tenth to a third of an inch of rain, as well, according to KSL Weather models updated Friday morning.
Warmer weather to follow
Typically, it's April showers that bring May flowers, as the saying goes, but next week's weather will feel more like we're already in May. Van Dyke says a high-pressure system will set up after the storm, raising temperatures more reminiscent of mid- to late-May.
"High pressure (will be) really building in in a big way to bring in the warmest temperatures yet this year," she said.
High temperatures along the Wasatch Front are forecast to climb from the low 50s on Friday to the low 60s by Monday before reaching the mid-70s by midweek. Southern Utah temperatures are expected to jump from the low 70s on Friday to the mid-80s by Tuesday.
Some cities, like Salt Lake City, could break daily record-high temperatures. Utah's capital still has a daily record set as far back as 1879 that could be in jeopardy depending on how long the warm stretch lasts, but long-range models still have another storm on track to arrive in the state by late next week.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online, at the KSL Weather Center.
