This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Thursday's forecast for northern Utah called for isolated rain showers and thunderstorms late in the day, but continued hot, dry and windy weather brought another "Red Flag" fire danger warning to much of the southern half of the state.
The National Weather Service predicted highs in the mid-80s along the Wasatch Front Thursday, about the same temperature range as forecast for Wednesday. The storm system was expected to arrive by late Wednesday night and extend throughout Thursday.
However, predictions called for continued hot weather in southern Utah with highs in the upper-90s, up a few degrees from the temperatures expected for Wednesday.
With tinder-dry high deserts, forests and grasslands the rule, forecasters issued a wildfire danger warning for a swath of Utah stretching from the St. George and Zion National Park areas of southwestern Utah to Bluff, in the southeast, and into central Utah as far as Price, as well as Green River and Moab in eastern Utah. The warning was run through midnight Thursday.
Air quality in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Box Elder and Tooele counties was compromised, earning a "Yellow" rating; Cache and Uintah counties maintained a "Green" or healthy grade.
Salt Lake City expected a high of 87 degrees Thursday, a couple degrees higher than Wednesday's forecast; Ogden expected 84 degrees both days; Provo 87 and 86; Logan 81 and 82; Wendover 85 and 86; Duchesne 81 and 79; Cedar City 85 and 82; St. George 98 and 95; and Moab 93 and 86 degrees.