Weather roller-coaster takes a dip

Bye, bye, 80s for at least a week.

Salt Lake City recorded its first temperature in the 80s of the year Monday with an 82 degree reading at the Salt Lake International Airport. However, it was back to the 50s Tuesday as the spring temperature roller-coaster ride continued.

Temperatures are expected to climb back up to the mid-60s on Wednesday and into the mid-70s on Thursday along the Wasatch Front before dropping back into the upper 50s by Saturday.

According to the Salt Lake office of the National Weather Service, it will only hit the lows 60s by Monday. No 80s are in sight.

KSL weathercasters agree with that prediction and also expect only a 57 degree high Saturday under mostly cloudy skies about the same on Sunday and only a 60 degree day on Monday.

"A front is cooling things off again today," Grant Weyman, KSL meteorologist, said Tuesday. "Temperatures in the 50s and 60s today with rain at times, especially this afternoon. More rain possible (Wednesday) morning. We are expecting a warmer Thursday but then cooling once again."

The National Weather Service predicts at least a chance of rain every day through Monday, while KSL forecasts cloudy skies for each of those days but only isolated showers Friday.

The month of May has been a cool one thus far, with 14 of the month's 18 days recording below-normal temperature readings. The National Weather Service reports that temperatures have been an average of 5.5 degrees below normal this month so far.

Salt Lake City's 82 degrees on Monday was 13 above the normal day's high but well-below the all-time record for a May 17 of 89 degrees, set in 1948.

Moisture-wise, as of Monday, Salt Lake International Airport had received 0.72 inches of moisture. That's 58 percent of normal for the entire month, and this latest storm should increase that significantly.

e-mail: lynn@desnews.com