Salt Lake temperatures may hit century mark this weekend

SALT LAKE CITY — Will Salt Lake City hit the 100-degree mark for the first time this year on Friday?

KSL meteorologist Dan Pope is predicting a temperature at the scorching century mark on Friday, followed by 99 degrees on Saturday.

"A weak weather front near Salt Lake City will cool us into the upper 80s tomorrow (Wednesday)," Pope said.

"But the heat is ongoing into Friday and the weekend, as highs will reach the hottest of the season in the upper 90s to near 100."

However, the Salt Lake office of the National Weather Service is being more conservative and is expecting 99 degrees on Friday, followed by a 95 reading on Saturday.

Salt Lake City typically has one 100-degree day in June, three in July and one in August.

So far this year, the Salt Lake International Airport has logged two 98-degree days as its hottest days — June 29 and July 1.

Even the minimum overnight low temperatures have been unusually cool this summer, with two readings in the 70s at the airport.

Low temperatures of 75 degrees overnight on June 30 and 73 on July 1 have been the warmest nights so far.

For average temperatures, June was 0.5 degree below normal, while five days during July so far have been well below normal and July as a whole is 0.4 degree below the normal values.

There's a slight chance of thunderstorms this weekend, under partly cloudy skies.

Salt Lake will cool to a high of 89 degrees Wednesday, according to Pope, followed by 93 degrees on Thursday.

Sunday is expected to reach 98 degrees and Monday 97 degrees.

July is Salt Lake's warmest month, and the week around Pioneer Day is typically the hottest of them all.

Regarding precipitation, the Salt Lake City International Airport has had a trace of moisture on three days in July for a total of 0.02 inch of moisture.

Salt Lake normally receives 0.24 inch of moisture during July.

St. George continues to be Utah's hot spot. It hit 106 degrees Monday.

Pope expects St. George to sizzle at 110 degrees on Friday — the hottest day in the state so far this year.

He expects Utah's Dixie to be 109 degrees on Thursday and cool to 108 on Saturday.

On Monday, Arches National Park, Big Water, Hanksville, Delta and Bullfrog all had temperatures in the low 100s.

e-mail: lynn@desnews.com