Record-high temperatures were set Thursday in two Utah communities, while the mercury soared to 100 degrees or higher in six other areas.
It was 99 in Brigham City, where the previous record for the day was 93, set in 1977, and 101 in Tooele, which reached a record 95 degrees on the same day in 1963.In Hanksville the temperature hit 104, tying the reading set Aug. 13, 1970. It was 100 at the Salt Lake International Airport, where a record 102 degrees was recorded the same day in 1937.
One hundred degree or higher temperatures have been recorded four other times (July 28, Aug. 2, 3, 12) this summer at the airport.
Other hot readings Thursday included 107 in St. George and Moab, 105 at Zion National Park and 103 in Green River and Draper, 100 at Provo and Brigham Young University and 101 at the Utah Test Range west of the Great Lake Lake.
Seventy-two degrees was the Thursday overnight low, a record-high minimum temperature for Aug. 14 at the airport. The previous record was 71 degrees, established in 1963, said William J. Alder, meteorologist in charge of the Salt Lake office of the National Weather Service.
The record-high temperature for Aug. 14 at the airport is 100 degrees, "and I think we might reach that (today)," Alder said.
Temperatures near or at 100 degrees were expected Friday but will drop to the upper 90s Saturday and Sunday along the Wasatch Front.
A little rain might help to cool things off a bit, but most of Utah hadn't received any rain in the 24-hour period ending at 6:30 a.m. Friday.