Storms bringing Utah fresh snow and clean air for Christmas

SALT LAKE— Is it better to have snow on Christmas or clean air? Luckily, storms this weekend may bring both to Utah.

Storms on the way

Two storm systems are on their way to the state this weekend. They’re expected to help clear out bad air and bring some fresh powder to the state’s northern mountains.

“There are two different weather systems that will be impacting the state heading to the weekend,” explained John Cecava, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City. “We have one to our south and one to our north.”

Cecava said they are expecting the northern storm to bring 8-12 inches of snow in the mountains across northern Utah. But the valleys won’t get as much, only a few tenths of an inch according to current data.

One very valuable aspect of the storm is that it will help clear out the remaining inversion currently stuck in the Salt Lake Valley.

“With the weather system that moves through this weekend, that will definitely put out any remaining inversions,” said Cecava.

Meteorologists expect the storms to hit on Saturday morning, potentially lasting into Sunday in the northern half of the state.

Cooler temperatures

Although there have been unusually high temperatures for this time of the year, there will be a cold front moving ahead of this storm that will precede the storms.

“There will be a cold front that moves through with this system,” said Cecava. “That will help to drag the temperatures down quite a bit and help to… bring the potential for some significant snow to the mountains.”

Temperatures for Christmas Eve and Christmas are expected to be around 38 degrees with lows in the 20s in Salt Lake.

Read More:

• Utah snow base dropping due to high temps
• Protecting your health during Utah’s inversion season
• ‘Tis the season for Christmas tree fires