Elevated fire weather Friday with record highs expected

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — Happy Friday, Utah! We made it to the weekend and mother nature is dishing up more of the same hot temperatures and dry weather for the state.

Expect a hot afternoon with temps 10-20 degrees above normal, and record highs in several areas. A record high of 90 degrees is expected in Salt Lake City this afternoon — the current record is 86 degrees from 1963. In St. George, the record is 99 degrees from 1917 with a forecast high of 99 degrees as well. Strong winds and dry conditions will also bring fire risks to northern and central Utah. Red Flag Warnings are in place through 9 p.m. Friday night and wind gusts of 35 mph are expected.

The strong south flow is ahead of a cold front that will push into northern Utah through the evening, moving through central and southern Utah overnight. We may see a few isolated showers, but don’t expect much rain. Instead, watch out for gusty winds with the dry conditions. Slightly cooler weather will settle in tomorrow, but it’ll still be warmer than usual for this time of year. Breezy west to northwest winds will persist in some areas of northern Utah.

Looking ahead, next week’s weather will be pretty steady. Expect warm temps with a slight chance of isolated showers, especially in the mountains. The best chance for rain is around Tuesday or Wednesday, but it’ll be minimal. Highs will stay in the 70s to 90s, with a gradual cooling trend.

By next weekend, we might see a bigger weather shift as a stronger system moves in from the Pacific. Details are still uncertain, but changes could be coming!

We’ll keep you up-to-date on the latest developments and any new records in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah!

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