‘Dramatic’ Shift Forecast for 2 States’ Weather

Parts of Utah and Wyoming can expect a “dramatic” shift in their weather next week, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists warned.
The Salt Lake City, Utah, forecast region has experienced an abnormally warm October. Dry conditions also have been present, but both weather patterns are set to change next week when a powerful cold front drops temperatures into the 40s for some areas.
“Warm and dry conditions return this weekend before a dramatic pattern shift next week,” the NWS office in Salt Lake City posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. “A storm will bring much colder temperatures by early next week with widespread valley rain and mountain snow. Details will come into focus in the coming days.”
The forecast region includes parts of Utah and southwest Wyoming.
Temperatures also dipped in Salt Lake City on Thursday, dropping the highs as much as 20 degrees cooler than on Wednesday, when temperatures broke a daily record high of 78 degrees.
Even with the sudden drop, NWS meteorologist Hayden Mahan told Newsweek that Salt Lake City is poised to finish the month with its warmest October on record. “Really the whole month of October is approaching record warmth,” he said.
Temperatures will rise this weekend back into the low to mid-70s before the cold front arrives next week. “We do have a pretty powerful cold front that looks like it’s going to arrive late Monday into Tuesday,” Mahan said. “We will start to feel some of the effects on Monday with some light showers and cooler temperatures, but we don’t feel full effects until Tuesday.”
Widespread valley rain, mountain snow and temperatures in the 40s are expected on Tuesday for most valley locations, Mahan added.
Normal temperatures in the Salt Lake City forecast region for this time of year are in the low 60s. The incoming storm also could help supplement below-average precipitation. “We have been pretty dry so far this fall,” Mahan said. “September was below normal.”
This month has produced 0.6 inches of rain for the region. Typically, the area sees around 1.2 inches in October.
The forecast comes as much of the U.S. has experienced a dry, warmer-than-average fall that has prompted a slew of fire-weather warnings across the Northeast. Much of Utah is considered “abnormally dry,” according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor map, with some pockets of moderate and severe drought.
Wyoming is struggling with more drought, as the entire state battles at least moderate dryness. Extreme and exceptional drought also plague the Equality State, mostly concentrated in the eastern half.