Utah forecast: At least for now, it's not a 'dry heat'

It's inevitable: You know, those glass-half-full types who acknowledge Utah's scorching summer weather but add the old saw, "Yeah, it's hot, but it's a dry heat."

Not this time. The forecast for northern Utah Tuesday — mirroring Monday's predictions — called for hot and muggy conditions, with triple-digit temperatures accompanied by relative humidity of 50-60 percent, or roughly three to four times the usual humidity expected in the nation's second-most arid state.

Sure, it may not be New Orleans at mid-summer, but Utahns who venture out of air-conditioned homes and offices will get both over-heated and sticky.

That humidity comes with a series of thunderstorms and moisture-laden cloud cover moving into the region early this week.

Still, residents of the Wasatch Front could take some comfort in not living in southern Utah. Utah Dixie was living up to its historical affinity for the Deep South, at least weather-wise, with the mercury climbing well past 100 degrees Tuesday, echoing Monday's forecast.

Afternoon and evening thunderstorms also were on the horizon, and overnight lows throughout the state offer only modest relief, with the predictions in the north for low-70s and in the south for high-70s.

The National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the western two-thirds of Utah for the week ahead due to those thunderstorms and the potential for swollen rivers and streams and mud slides along hillsides recently scoured of vegetation by wildfires, and flash flooding in slot canyons.

The Utah Division of Air Quality rated the breathability in Salt Lake, Davis and Weber counties at "Yellow," or compromised into the mid-week; the rest of the state, however, was "Green," or at healthy air quality.

The Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website rated mold as "high" on its pollen index, but other allergens were all at diminished levels.

Salt Lake City looked for a high temperature Tuesday of 101, up from Monday's forecast for 99 degrees; Ogden expected 97 and 96 degrees, respectively; Provo 97 and 98; Logan 96s; Wendover 98 and 95; Duchesne 80 and 83; Cedar City 92 and 93; St. George 103 and 104; and Moab 97 and 95 degrees.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims