Salt Lake City breaks record for most days over 95 degrees

Salt Lake City has broken the all-time record for the most days in year that have hit 95 degrees or higher.

The National Weather Service made the announcement Friday at about 1:30 p.m., saying Salt Lake City hit the mark for the 52nd time this year, the most since 1874, when record-keeping started.

On Thursday, when Utah's capital city soared to 97, a 1961 record of 51 days of 95 degrees or better was tied. Friday's late-afternoon high of 97, recorded at 3:45 p.m., left the old heat record a veritable molten historical slag.

Friday's low temperature of 71 also tied a record of its own, matching the 2012 record as the hottest minimum temperature for that day.

Northern Utah in general was due to bake into this Labor Day weekend with temperatures on Saturday ranging into the mid-90s and overnight lows struggling to reach the low 70s. The holiday weekend also was expected to be relatively dry, with this past week's cycle of thunderstorms a memory.

Southern Utah, however, was to experience the stormy breaks with occasionally heavy rainfall into the weekend. High temperatures will be in the mid-90s, overnight lows in the low 70s.

The Utah Division of Air Quality rated breathability in the "green," or healthy zone, while the Intermountain Allergy & Asthma website had chenopods and mold at "high" and ragweed at "moderate" levels on its pollen index.

Salt Lake City's high on Saturday was to hit 95, down 2 degrees from Friday's forecast; Ogden looked for 92 and 93 degrees, respectively; Provo 94 and 96; Logan 93 and 94; Wendover 92 and 93; Duchesne 85 and 86; Cedar City 82 and 81; St. George 95 and 94; and Moab 94 and 93 degrees.

remims@sltrib.com

Twitter: @remims