A slight cooling trend, along with late afternoon thunderstorms and rain showers, was expected to bring some small relief to northern Utahns on Saturday.
High temperatures along the Wasatch Front this weekend were predicted to range in the mid-90s, retreating from the triple-digits expected on Friday. Indeed, Friday's heat flirted with tying a 1961 record for most days (21) of 100-degrees or more. Whether that record was tied or topped awaited the official National Weather Service tally at Salt Lake City International Airport.
However, southern Utahns despite some isolated precipitation expected Saturday afternoon could look for continued highs near or above 100 degrees.
Continued hot, dry weather convinced the National Weather Service to resume a Red Flag Warning through Friday night for elevated wildfire risk for the northwestern third of the state. The warning area stretched from the Utah-Idaho border south through the Wasatch Front to Manti, and west through Delta to the Utah-Nevada state line.
As wildfires poured smoke into the atmosphere, the Utah Division of Air Quality rated Salt Lake, Davis, Cache, Box Elder and Weber counties as "yellow," or unhealthy on Friday. All parts of the state, though, were expected to improve to "green," or healthy for breathing on Saturday.
The Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website rated only chenopods, at "high," and mold, at "moderate," as elevated on its pollen index.
Salt Lake City's high temperature of 100 degrees forecast for Friday was to be followed Saturday by a 97-degree reading; Ogden looked for 95 and 94 degrees, respectively; Provo 97 and 94; Logan 96 and 94; Wendover 97 and 95; Duchesne 89 and 88; Cedar City 91 and 89; St. George 101s; and Moab 98 and 95 degrees.
remims@sltrib.com
Twitter: @remims