Cold front to bring fire danger, smoke, near-freezing temperatures

Listen at 5:15 👇  for info about the smoke being pushed into Utah:

 

SALT LAKE— The cold front moving in tomorrow is not only dropping temperatures, it’s also bringing increased fire danger and some wildfire smoke from Idaho into the state. 

Increased fire danger along southern and western Utah

A red flag warning is in effect today, partly due to the gusty winds ahead of tomorrow’s cold temperatures.

“Ahead of these cold fall systems we typically see an uptick in the south-westerly winds,” said Michael Wessler, a Nationoal Weather Service meteorologist.  “With that, we’re expecting much of central and western Utah especially to see wind gusts approaching 45 miles per hour or so. . . potentially starting as early as this evening.”

Dry air, dry fuel, and increasing winds create elevated fire danger, which is the primary concern this week.

“We’re more concerned about the potential for extreme fire behavior, given the very low humidity potentially down to the single-digit percentage and those strong winds,” said Wessler. “So any existing fires or any new fire starts could spread rapidly.”

Salt Lake County Emergency Management is urging citizens to be extra cautious with fire safety this week due to the high fire danger.

“Be mindful of things that could start fires. Whether that’s campfires or sparks from yard work equipment or dirt bikes,” said Wessler.

Increased smoke

Smoke from California is sitting across the state today, especially in areas of Southern Utah. 

The cool winds from the north moving in tomorrow will help clear out southern smoke from California. However, it will bring along more wildfire smoke from Idaho.

“As the cold front moves in, we’ll get a couple of hours where things clear out between the California smoke and the incoming Idaho smoke,” explained Wessler. “Unfortunately, the northwesterly flow that’s bringing in cooler air from the north, will also be bringing in a lot of that Idaho smoke for northern Utah.”

Lows near freezing in some areas

Highs in the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys will be dropping around 20 degrees. While the forecasted high was in the low 90s today, it is expected to be in the low 70s tomorrow. 

The coldest air is expected along the northern Wasatch back in the Ogden Valley, Park City, and Weber areas.

“Be mindful [that] with this cold front we’ll see some of the coldest temperatures we’ve seen so far this late summer and early fall, potentially getting down towards freezing,” said Wessler.

These cold temperatures are not uncommon in Utah’s early fall with snow falling the past few years in high mountain ranges around mid-September.

However, this combination of a cold front with dry and smoky air is rare.

“To see these strong winds with these dry fuels and high temperatures late in the season is up there as far as an anomaly,” said Wessler. “Not completely unusual but definitely worth being aware of.”

Related: Fire risk: Red Flag Warning issued for Salt Lake