While scattered thunderstorms and occasionally heavy rain rolled over southern Utah Friday, the northern and central parts of the state remained in the sweaty embrace of a heat spell.
Despite the storm clouds, the redrocks and high deserts of Utah’s Dixie saw high temperatures in the upper-90s on a humid Friday, and will still be in the mid-90s on an equally sweltering Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service predicted.
The potential for heavy rain meant an elevated risk for flash flooding in slot canyons, usually dry creek beds and on forest slopes recently denuded by wildfires. A “Flash Flood Watch” was issued for 2 p.m. Friday through midnight, including both Zion and Capitol Reef national parks and the Glen Canyon National Recreation area.
However, along the Wasatch Front the forecast was for sunny-to-partly cloudy skies and no rainfall on Saturday, with highs in the mid-90s – up a couple degrees from Friday’s thermometric expectations. Sunday will hit 90, a bit cooler as afternoon thunderstorms arrive.
Storm clouds or not, there were no forecasts for dramatically improved air quality in the days ahead. The Utah Division of Air Quality graded the state’s urban valley locales — including Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber and Tooele counties – as “orange,” signifying ozone and particulate pollution levels deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups (the old, the very young, and those with compromised lung or cardiac function).
Only Washington County was expected to reach the free-breathing “green,” or healthy category, with the remainder of the state’s counties at “yellow,” or moderate pollution levels.
At least the pollen count was in retreat: the Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website reported only mold at “moderate” levels as of Friday, with all other allergens “low,” or too low to register.