Cold front and more wildfire smoke soon coming to the Wasatch Front

SALT LAKE CITY — Northern Utah is in for a big cooldown and an influx of more wildfire smoke this week.

Highs are expected to hover in the 90’s Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Salt Lake City. But, by Thursday, an Alaskan cold front is going to move in. And highs will drop down to the low 70’s, according to KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson.

As the winds blow from the Northwest, Johnson said they will bring in more smoke from fires burning in Oregon and Idaho. That smoke is expected to deteriorate the air quality along the Wasatch Front on Thursday and Friday, Johnson said.

“The thickest of it [will be] Thursday [and] Friday and then it’s going to start to … dissipate … Saturday and Sunday,” said Johnson. “It’s still here … but it’s also not nasty, crazy, heavy smoke.”

Johnson said it’s too early to tell how much air quality will deteriorate, though, he expects to know more on Thursday morning. He said there’s a chance another system could drive the smoke out later next week.

By the weekend, not only is the smoke expected to at least thin out a bit, temperatures are expected to climb back into the 80’s.

Johnson also said with how late it is in the year, this cold front will likely shut the door on any chance of Salt Lake hitting 100 degrees again in 2024. Though, he said there’s roughly a 40% chance that we see 90 degrees again before the snow starts falling.

In mid-September, Johnson said average highs are in the mid-80’s, but, by late-September, they fall to 70’s.

Related: When will Utah see cooler temperatures?

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