- Atmospheric river forecast to bring strong moisture to Utah, but unlikely snow, for most on Christmas.
- Record warmth remains in the forecast through at least Christmas Eve.
- Stronger potential snow is forecast after Christmas, as temperatures drop.
SALT LAKE CITY — Dreaming of a white Christmas? You probably won't find it in Utah this year.
The Beehive State is in line to receive a massive boost from an atmospheric river moving across the West, but KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson says unseasonably warm temperatures should keep snow lines fairly high until colder air arrives, which could be right after the holiday.
"(There will be) southerly flow as strong as ever at higher levels, so that's going to keep cold here out of here," he said. "I think our best chance for snow is increasing somewhat, late Friday into Saturday."
Record-breaking warmth
A large low-pressure system off the Pacific Northwest coast on Monday is helping to bring in rain and snow across wide swaths of the West this week, but it's also contributing to some record-high warmth. That's because Utah is caught between the low-pressure and a high-pressure system located over Mexico, which is causing strong winds from the southwest to flow into the state, Johnson explains.
Salt Lake City set a new high temperature record on Monday, breaking the previous record from 1964 when the temperature remained at 59 degrees Fahrenheit at the stroke of midnight. The city will likely break records again on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the city's warmest Christmas Day — 59 degrees, set in 1955 — could be in jeopardy, too.
It represents the record warmth throughout the state this week, which is a continuation of the month thus far.
A wet Christmas
While most of the moisture is expected to move north of Utah between Monday and Tuesday, things are forecast to change by Christmas Eve, Wednesday, and that will last for most of the rest of the week.
"We'll start to see some of that energy from the West Coast move, but it's going to come in gradual waves — periodical waves, showers ... headed into the weekend," Johnson said, adding that Christmas travel might be tricky, especially for people traveling within the state or areas west of Utah.
A wave of storms is expected to arrive in southwest Utah early Wednesday, before showers expand to central and northern Utah later in the day. Showers are expected to continue on Christmas Eve night and into early Christmas Day, Thursday, while slowly expanding into eastern Utah.
Showers may be more scattered as the day continues, but the snow line will likely remain closer to 9,000 feet elevation as a mixture of southerly flow and the system's warmth keeps temperatures too high for snow in most areas, Johnson said.
More widespread showers are expected to return after Christmas, as the core of the low-pressure system moves toward Utah. It will mix colder air into the system, dropping the snow line closer to 7,500 feet elevation or lower, he said. He adds that there's a slight potential for snow in bench areas and possibly the valley floors on Saturday, before the system clears out.
KSL Weather models suggest that some communities have the potential to receive a half-inch to an inch of precipitation or more by the end of Friday, while mountain locations could end up with multiple inches of water. But many variables can factor into any snow accumulations that Utah receives during that time. Models tentatively project that the state's highest elevation areas could end up with 10 to 20 inches of new snow.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online, at the KSL Weather Center.
Other records in view?
If it doesn't snow at Salt Lake City International Airport this week, Utah's capital could set a few more records. The city has yet to officially record any measurable snow this season, inching closer to the latest into the season to pick up snow, which is Jan. 2, set in 1891.
Only two other times has it not snowed before Christmas in Salt Lake City, but those other times — 1939 and 1943 — each ended with snow on the holiday. If history doesn't repeat itself, Salt Lake City could break another record: the longest stretch without any measurable snow, which dates back to last season.
The city's last measurable snowfall came on March 18, and should the snowless streak continue into early 2026, it could break a century-old record of 290 consecutive days without snow.
"It's very rare that we don't have any snow through the month of December," National Weather Service meteorologist Sam Webber told KSL earlier this month.
The lack of valley snow, he added, is largely tied to the same pattern affecting the West's mountain snowpack. Warmer Pacific storms and a lack of cold air built up over western Canada resulted in fewer snow events, which is essentially what's expected again for Christmas.
