Parts of Utah get up to half-inch of rain

A storm system blowing through Utah on Sunday left rain, snow and cool temperatures in its wake, but forecasters with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City said the weather pattern was normal for this time of year.

The week before saw near-record high temperatures that increased daily, according to the Weather Service. Sunshine paired with high pressure kept Utah about 20 degrees above normal.

However, Sunday brought with it seasonably cool air as well as much-needed precipitation.

About half an inch of rain fell in the Ogden area, and northern mountains at elevations of about 6,500 feet and above saw snow, said Weather Service lead forecaster Mike Conger.

Salt Lake City saw .21 of an inch of rain while the Wasatch Mountain valleys and southern Wasatch Front had less than one-tenth of an inch of rain.

Southern and eastern Utah had heavy cloud cover but no precipitation, according to the Weather Service.

The precipitation brought the month's rainfall totals to only half of normal, Conger said.

Calender year water totals are also down, Conger said. Sunday's storm brought the statewide total to 9.78 inches. Normal totals for mid-November are closer to 14.5 inches.

Despite the cooling storm Sunday, two record-high low temperatures were recorded in Utah — Delta at 45 degrees and Wendover at 46 degrees.

The Weather Service said skies should be clear today, but a small storm system is expected to blow through northern Utah on Tuesday.

The season's first real chance of valley snow will probably be Thanksgiving weekend, Conger said. A large storm is expected to pummel the state Saturday or Sunday of that week.

For more information on rainfall and forecasts, visit the Weather Service's Web site at www.wrh.noaa.gov/slc/.

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