588 FXUS65 KSLC 140446 AFDSLC Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 1046 PM MDT Thu May 13 2021 .SYNOPSIS...Mild conditions will persist over the area over the next several days. The approach of a Pacific storm system will bring increasingly unsettled conditions to the area over the weekend and into early next week. && .DISCUSSION...The forecast area remains under a mild zonal flow this evening with a bit of weak shortwave energy moving through central Utah. This is resulting in increased cloud cover and a few light showers with little if any precipitation reaching the ground. Near the Utah/Idaho border, a weak boundary will park overnight, remaining in place through Friday morning before shifting south and stalling once again. This boundary will act as the focus for additional light shower activity, though with lower levels remaining dry still not anticipating much hitting the ground. With daytime heating, threat of showers will expand to much of the higher terrain of northern Utah, but will remain isolated in nature. Winds will become breezy once again over southern Utah ahead of this boundary, resulting in some fire weather concerns. See the fire weather section of the AFD for more details. A Pacific Northwest trough is expected to close off and slide down the California coast Friday into Saturday before shifting east Sunday. By Saturday this will result in some subtle cooling of the airmass, though maxes should remain around 10F above seasonal normals. With the boundary remaining in place over northern Utah and a bit more moisture moving in, coverage of showers over northern Utah should increase noticeably Saturday afternoon compared to Friday. As the trough tracks into the Desert Southwest late in the weekend, potential for showers will spread farther south with associated cloud cover resulting in a bit more cooling of temperatures over southern Utah. Unsettled conditions are then expected to continue through the first part of the work week. No updates expected to the forecast this evening. && .AVIATION...KSLC...The SLC terminal will see VFR conditions through the night with some scattered clouds. Southerly winds are expected to continue through the morning. Rest of Utah and southwest Wyoming...The area will see VFR conditions through the night with some scattered clouds. Winds overnight will be generally light and terrain driven, with breezy winds developing tomorrow afternoon for the southern Utah TAF sites as well as KEVW and KHCR. && .FIRE WEATHER...Warm and generally dry conditions will continue tomorrow over the district, with some isolated showers and thunderstorms across northern Utah, primarily over the higher terrain. Southerly flow will increase tomorrow ahead of an approaching storm system, combining with critically dry fuels to result in areas of Red Flag conditions over far southern Utah, with the high fire danger continuing into Saturday. Over northern Utah, the potential for showers and thunderstorms will increase Saturday, with widely scattered thunderstorms possible over the higher terrain Saturday afternoon. A somewhat cooler and more unsettled pattern will develop for early next week as low pressure moves across the Desert Southwest. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM Friday to 9 PM MDT Saturday for UTZ498. Red Flag Warning from 11 AM to 9 PM MDT Saturday for UTZ497. WY...None. && $$ Traphagan For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity For frequently asked questions about the Area Forecast Discussion visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity/general/afd_faqs.php