Utah forecast: Wet and storm in the north, windy and dry in the southeast

A Magna playground aide was transported to a hospital but appeared to have no serious injuries after a possible near-miss lightning strike that occurred Tuesday during a heavy thunderstorm, complete with hail, that moved through Salt Lake County.

Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley said the 41-year-old woman had just helped clear children from the playground of Copper Hills Elementary School about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday when lighting was thought to have struck the grounds.

"We believe it may have been what is called a 'proximity' strike," Horsley said.

When she reported a tingling sensation in her neck, Unified Fire Department paramedics responded to the school at 7635 W. 3517 South. As a precaution, the woman was transported to Pioneer Valley Hospital to be examined further.

The storm Tuesday was predicted to result in scattered rain showers throughout northern and central Utah and snow above 9,000 feet. A Hazardous Weather Outlook advisory was issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for the western two-thirds of the state.

Precipitation reports issued by the NWS through 8 p.m. Tuesday showed some areas were soaked: Bountiful reported 0.64 inches; Taylorsville, 0.83 inches; Sandy, 0.67 inches; and Salt Lake City, 0.69 inches.

Periodic, heavy rainfall also was possible Wednesday, according to the weather service. Meanwhile, flows in rivers and streams fed by snow melt were expected to continue to be both cold and swift, posing danger to children and pets who come too close to the waterways.

The Wasatch Front looked for highs in the mid- to upper 60s through Wednesday under cloudy skies. For southern Utah, temperature highs are expected range between the upper 70s and upper 80s with chances of precipitation diminishing Wednesday as winds pick up.

The Utah Division of Air Quality gave "green" or healthy air grades statewide, while the Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website reported pollen levels for oak, grass and mold as high.

Salt Lake City's high temperature for Wednesday is expected to be 68 degrees, up from Tuesday's forecast for 64 degrees; Ogden looked for 65 degrees; Provo 71; Logan, 65; Wendover, 70; Duchesne, 69; Cedar City, 74; St. George, 87; and Moab, 77 degrees.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims