Utah's autumnal heat wave is coming to an end.
A storm is due Wednesday and appears poised to mark a change in the large-scale pattern of weather systems. Another blustery impulse should arrive on Saturday and a third on Monday.The strange weather locked air pollution into the valleys of northwestern Utah. But starting Tuesday afternoon, brisk air was expected to clean out the gunk, with the storm arriving midday Wednesday.
Rain in the valleys and 4 to 6 inches of snow in the mountains is predicted for northwestern Utah and the Wasatch Front. Little Cottonwood Canyon may get a bit more snow, possibly up to 8 inches.
Wednesday night, a bit of snow may accumulate in the higher benches of Salt Lake City.
But Monday, Utah continued to bask in unseasonable warmth.
"We had quite a few records yesterday," William J. Alder, meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service regional office on North Temple, said Tuesday.
Heber City sweltered Monday at 78, far higher than the 70-degree record set in 1941. Blanding hit a high of 68 degrees, compared with its previous high for the date, 66, set in 1905. Brian Head reached 55, six degrees warmer than the previous record set in 1995.
Other records include 72 at Cedar City, compared with 70 in 1967; Coalville, 74, above the record 68 set in 1967; Nephi, 76, compared with 73 in 1967.
Also, the weather station at Brigham Young University in Provo recorded a high that beat a 65-year-old record. The 76 degrees recorded there beat the previous record of 74 set in 1934. At Springville, the high was 72, seven degrees warmer than the record for the date, set in 1998.
In Alta, the high was 60 degrees, compared with the previous record of 57, set in 1975. Orem's maximum was 66, a degree higher than the record set in 1965.
In several cities the temperature was the warmest ever recorded this late in the year: Brian Head, Cedar City, Coalville, Heber City, Nephi and Provo. Heber City's temperature was a new record for the entire month of November, going back to the 77 degrees recorded on Nov. 3, 1924.
"Coalville tied for a record for the warmest temperature ever recorded in November" in that city, with 74 degrees. The tie was with Nov. 12, 1967.