High wind warning, advisories issued as easterly downslope winds return
May 9, 2024, 1:00 PM | Updated: 6:23 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Many parts of the Wasatch Front’s northern half picked up multiple inches of precipitation this week, and now northern Utah is getting the brunt of easterly winds.
National Weather Service meteorologists have issued a high wind warning for Davis and Weber counties and wind advisories for other parts of the Wasatch Front and northern Utah.
The wind advisory is already in effect Thursday. It states that 20-35 mph winds are expected across Salt Lake County and valleys north of it through at least 10 a.m. Friday. Gusts up to 55 mph are possible.
Ogden, Bountiful and other communities along the northern half of the Wasatch Front are listed in high wind warning, which is in place from 6 p.m. Thursday to noon Friday. It states that sustained winds will pick up to 35-45 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph or more, Thursday night and Friday morning.
(1/3)EAST WINDS: Right now nothing looks too terribly strong for our east wind forecast Thursday & Friday mornings. General wind gusts will be 35-45 mph with some canyon mouths reaching 55+ mph.
CAVEAT: With saturated soils and fully leafed trees, we have to consider the pic.twitter.com/EpZb4eovNc
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) May 8, 2024
The strongest gusts are expected near Park Lane in Davis County, according to the weather service. Models indicate there’s at least a 10% probability that gusts could reach 75 mph. The winds will begin to calm down as Friday progresses, KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said.
He explained that the strong winds result from a low-pressure system that helped deliver rain and snow to the region earlier this week. The system stalled and is forecast to move back toward the west, creating strong easterly downslope winds as it moves toward Nevada.
While the gusts aren’t forecast to be anywhere near as severe as the 2020 wind storm — an event also caused by easterly downslope winds — Johnson said it could cause some downed trees because of the saturated soils from this week’s storms and the weight of fully leafed trees.
The alerts state it could also blow over power lines and make travel difficult for high-profile vehicles. The weather service recommends that residents secure any outdoor furniture or decorations, trampolines and garbage cans so they don’t become “projectiles in strong winds.”
Johnson said the west-moving system may also produce scattered pop-up showers across the state over the next few days before it moves back out to the east through southern Utah this weekend. Those showers aren’t expected to produce as much moisture as the initial storm sequence.
Warmer and drier conditions are expected to return by the end of the weekend. Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online, at the KSL Weather Center.
