Bring on the 80s.
After more than a weeklong heat wave, most of the state — save traditional hot spots of St. George and Lake Powell — is about to get a break.
That's thanks to a nice little dry, cold front expected to push through the state Friday night.
"By this weekend, we should be in the mid-80s and that will last most of next week," said meteorologist Karen Kahl with the National Weather Service's Salt Lake City office. "It should be sunny and pretty nice."
The Salt Lake and Tooele valleys can expect highs near 85 today, and evening lows near 60. Similar temperatures are forecast for most of the state.
Utah's Dixie will remain a hot spot, with highs expected between 100 and 103 for the next week, and lows in the mid- to upper 60s.
Much of the same is expected for Lake Powell, except on Thursday and Friday, when temperatures at the popular recreation spot could dip to the upper 90s.
Elsewhere, temperatures in the 80s will be a welcome reprieve for Utahns, who have seen just one day below 90 degrees since May 22, Kahl said.
Still, even the 80s are considered above normal. The average highs for the first week of June range from 76 to 79 degrees.
"Eighty will still be a little warm, but nothing like what we've been seeing," Kahl said.
Indeed. Record temperatures continued through Friday in several areas.
Salt Lake City reported a scorching 97 degrees, one degree above the record set last year. Brigham City's 94 degrees was three above the old record set in 1991. And Delta's reported 98 exceeded the 1994 record by four degrees.
Though a few areas experienced some rain Friday evening, no precipitation was expected to accompany the coming cold front.
Precipitation for May, though above normal at the beginning of the month, will end 0.37 of an inch below normal, Kahl said. The state also remains 2.26 inches below normal for the year so far.
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