FXUS65 KSLC 051839 AFDSLC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 1239 PM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026 .KEY MESSAGES, Issued 1029 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026... - An influx of smoke originating from numerous fires across the Pacific Northwest will continue through at least Thursday. - A gradual warming trend through the latter half of the week brings the potential for widespread dangerous heat to develop Friday into Saturday. - Chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms with microburst potential begin as early as Thursday across southwest Utah, with the threat becoming more widespread early next week as monsoon moisture surges northward. && .DISCUSSION, Issued 1029 PM MDT Tue Aug 4 2026... Utah and southwest Wyoming are under a dry west to northwest flow this evening as high pressure rebuilds along the Pacific coast. High temperatures stayed up to 5F below seasonal normals over northern portions of the area, while temperatures stayed abnormally hot over southern Utah. A high of 99F at Cedar City tied the record high for the date, with some possibility that other daily records were broken. The ridge will continue to build over the next few days, slowly shifting east as it does so. By Friday, the ridge is expected to be overhead, and highs up to 10F above seasonal normals will be common for both Friday and Saturday, bringing the potential of an increase in heat related illness. The position of the ridge is expected to allow a subtle intrusion of monsoon moisture into southern Utah, potentially as early as Thursday. This moisture will allow for the development of a few high based showers and thunderstorms, primarily focused over the higher terrain of southern Utah. Any storms that develop will be capable of producing gusty and erratic downburst winds. By Sunday into Monday, there is good agreement in guidance that the ridge axis will shift east of the area, becoming centered over the Four Corners. This positioning of the ridge is a typical scenario for a larger surge of monsoon moisture across the forecast area. Thus, there will be decreasing temperatures and increase in the potential for precipitation, with the primary threat over the area, particularly southern Utah, shifting toward flash flooding for at least the first part of the upcoming week. && .AVIATION, Issued 1116 AM MDT Wed Aug 5 2026... KSLC...Northwesterly winds will prevail through the afternoon, transitioning to southeasterly between 03-04z. VFR conditions will mostly persist outside of a window around sunset and sunrise where wildfire smoke may produce slantwise VIS reductions down to MVFR for an hour or two. REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Winds will largely be light and terrain-driven, though eastern Utah this afternoon will favor breezy westerly winds with gusts to 20-25kts. VFR conditions will largely persist with hazy skies, though lingering wildfire smoke could produce slantwise VIS reductions down to MVFR across central/northern Utah. Sites near local wildfires could see further reductions. && .FIRE WEATHER...Dry conditions continue statewide with widespread relative humidity values in the single digits to low teens and poor overnight recoveries through Saturday, courtesy of strengthening high pressure across the western US. This pattern will also result in a warming trend through Saturday, with temperatures climbing around 10 degrees above average by Friday. Intense heating will yield increasing chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms beginning Thursday and continuing into the weekend, mainly across southern Utah. Storms will be on the drier side between Thursday and Saturday, with main threats being dry lightning and gusty and erratic outflow winds to 50 mph. A modest surge of monsoon moisture is expected Sunday into early next week, and as such coverage of storms expands northward with better potential across southern Utah for storms to produce locally heavy rainfall. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...Extreme Heat Warning from noon Friday to midnight MDT Sunday night for UTZ101-102-104-105-115-120-121. Heat Advisory from noon Friday to midnight MDT Sunday night for UTZ103-106-107-114-116. Heat Advisory from noon Thursday to 9 PM MDT Saturday for UTZ118- 119-122-126-127. Extreme Heat Warning from noon Thursday to 9 PM MDT Saturday for UTZ123-124-128>131. WY...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM MDT this evening for WYZ277. && $$ PUBLIC...Traphagan AVIATION...Cunningham FIRE WEATHER...Whitlam For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity