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SALT LAKE CITY — The first round of a storm series impacting Utah was quite productive Thursday, delivering a foot of snow in Big Cottonwood Canyon and over a half-inch of precipitation in places like Cornish, in Cache County.
"It packed a little punch," said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson.
And there's more on the way this Easter weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the southern mountains as well as a winter weather advisory for the Wasatch and Uinta mountains ahead of the second wave, which may deliver another foot of snow in some areas by the end of the weekend.
The strange storm pattern has played out as forecast so far. A cold front that arrived in Utah has stalled out, hovering over central Utah, as well as parts of Nevada and Colorado. Johnson said it may produce some light showers across the Wasatch Front and mountains on Friday evening and Saturday morning, as it moves north to make way for another cold front coming in from the west.
However, the next big wave of rain and snow is expected to begin around Saturday afternoon and evening ahead of the cold front. The precipitation will continue into Sunday as the cold front sweeps through the state. Scattered showers are anticipated later in the day, as the core of the low-pressure system keeps precipitation flowing, he said.
"Saturday and Sunday, both, we have pretty good rain chances," he said. "I wouldn't cancel any Easter plans you have, (but) keep track of the weather. ... Look at the radar, look at the hourly (forecast)."
Every part of the state is expected to receive at least some precipitation too, unlike the first wave, The winter storm warning for the southern mountains is in place from late Saturday morning through noon Sunday. It states that 6 to 12 inches of snow is possible along with wind gusts up to 55 mph. Brian Head and parts of the Pine Valley could end up with totals close to 18 inches.
The winter weather advisory states that 6 to 12 inches of snow are possible along the Wasatch and West and East Uinta mountains by Sunday night, when the advisory expires. Up to 18 inches of snow is possible in parts of the Cottonwood Canyons, lower than previous estimates, weather service officials noted on Saturday.
The storm also has the potential to deliver another 0.25 to 0.75 inches of precipitation in parts of the state, per an updated KSL Weather model. This will likely fall as rain in the valleys; the weather service has decreased the probability that snow will fall in the second wave, though there's still a small chance for at least a trace in some communities and a better chance in higher-elevation areas.
Conditions will begin to clear out on Monday. High temperatures are expected to reach the 60s along the Wasatch Front and the 70s in and around St. George by midweek before another storm is forecast to arrive, Johnson added.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.
All of the precipitation will continue to boost Utah's snowpack, which is already well above its seasonal median. The statewide average is now up to 17.7 inches of snow water equivalent statewide, 127% of the median for this point in the year and 111% of the annual median, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service data.
Utah's snowpack tends to peak in early April before the snow collected in the mountains melts into streams, creeks and rivers that flow into Utah's lakes and reservoirs. The state's reservoirs are already up to 84% capacity before the main snowmelt season.
