A dry spell and above-average temperatures return to Utah this week

SALT LAKE CITY– Above-average temperatures are returning to the Beehive State this week.

According to the KSL forecast at the time of publication, highs in Salt Lake City are expected to reach the low- to mid-70s every day for the next week. An exception is on Wednesday when the high is expected to hit 69. Highs in the 70s mean northern Utah temperatures are nearly 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. 

KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson said the average daily high this time of year is 63 degrees.

Along with above-average temperatures, Johnson said northern Utah will likely not see any significant rain for more than a week.

Johnson said this is due to high pressure once again building in the western states on the heels of a cold front that brought rain and mountain snow to Utah last week.

He said the next best chance at substantial precipitation is not until the end of October.

Utah dry trend has been around for months

This is a trend Utah has dealt with for months.

So far, Salt Lake City has seen below-average rain totals in October. The same was true in September. June and July also ran dry, according to Johnson.

Additionally, during October 2024, Salt Lake City had 15 days where temperatures reached 80 degrees or higher. That shattered the previous record of 10 days set back in 1996.

This trend is starting to have some adverse effects.

The U.S. Drought Monitor now lists more than 24% of Utah’s land in drought stage, and more than 97% of the land as abnormally dry.

Johnson also said this hot, dry trend has caused many of Utah’s trees to go dormant early, reducing some of the time Utahns could enjoy fall colors.

There is still time to turn things around, Johnson said. But if this trend hasn’t reversed by mid-December, Utah could lose some spring runoff to the dry soil.

Will things change?

As of now, it’s too early to be 100% sure how winter will play out in terms of snow and overall precipitation.

Johnson said Utah could still see average precipitation from November to February. However, models do not indicate whether we could see more or less than average totals.

However, long-range models do call for above-average precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and drier weather in areas of southeast Utah.

He thinks this could be good news for Utah since the state relies on storms coming in from the Pacific. 

Adam Small is a reporter for KSL NewsRadio. He primarily reports on the Great Salt Lake and Natural Resources. Follow him on Facebook and X.

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