Mild to ‘wild’: Record warmth in Utah on Friday to give way with next snowstorm

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s northern mountains started the new year off with a bang, as resorts like Snowbasin collected almost another foot of snow during the first two days of 2025.

Even many valley and bench areas from Salt Lake City northward picked up a tenth to a third of an inch of rain from the storm, which wasn’t initially expected to bring much precipitation as it passed through the region. It followed a stormy end of 2024 that greatly benefitted many snowpack basins.

But wait — there’s more.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory on Friday ahead of another storm system with the potential to deliver up to another foot of snow in the Wasatch and West Uinta mountains over the weekend, while the central mountains also get snow.

The advisories were extended out to several valley areas too, which could get a few inches of snow — something that has been a rarity so far this season.

Warm to snow

Salt Lake City’s temperature reached 58 degrees on Friday, snapping a daily record of 52 degrees last reached in 1934. Above-normal warmth and record-breaking temperatures were projected all over the state on Friday, as a high-pressure system set up south of the Four Corners region pumps air from the Southwest into Utah, said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson.

However, he said a cold front coming in from the Pacific Northwest will snap most of those temperatures as it arrives early Saturday. The system will bring in rain that quickly switches over to snow across parts of central Utah and areas northward.

“We’ve got the mild before the wild,” he said.

Snow is forecast to linger in the mountains as the cold front continues into eastern Utah by Saturday afternoon, while valley showers become more scattered. It’ll mostly clear out by Saturday evening, he adds.

Snow accumulations

The storm could deliver another 6-12 inches of snow across the Wasatch and West Uinta mountains by early Sunday, the weather service advisory states. The agency released a snow accumulation model that says there’s still a decent chance for higher accumulations, especially in the Cottonwood canyons, which could end up with as much as 20 inches.

Federal forecasters issued additional advisories for the Wasatch Backcountry and central mountains, which could receive 4-8 inches of fresh snow.

The alerts advise people traveling in the areas to slow down and drive carefully. It notes that traction laws could be enforced along some higher-elevation routes.

There’s also a chance it will provide some “good” valley snow accumulation if the conditions are right, Johnson said. The weather service issued yet another advisory for the Salt Lake Valley, northern Wasatch Front through the Cache Valley, which could receive 2-5 inches of snow Saturday morning.

However, Johnson said many valleys across northern and central Utah may only walk away with 1-2 inches of snow at most. The range depends on if and when the rain transitions to snow.

Should the forecast come to fruition, it would prevent Salt Lake City from breaking another weather record. The city has yet to officially receive at least 1 inch of snow from a single storm, making this now the second-latest start to the season. The current record was set on Jan. 6, 1891.

Overall, the storm is projected to deliver another 0.33-0.5 inches of precipitation across the Wasatch Front and northern Utah before it clears out.

The rest of the weekend

Sunday is forecast to be cooler and drier along the Wasatch Front, as temperatures remain in the upper 30s and low 40s. Johnson said there’s a chance another small system to pass by early next week, while temperatures don’t change much.

Areas by St. George likely won’t receive much precipitation, if at all this weekend. High temperatures are forecast to remain in the mid-50s, slightly cooler than Friday.

Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online, at the KSL Weather Center.