Breath of Cold Air

A bright and cold morning across much of Utah, with some fresh snow blanketing portions of the state. Some mountain wave clouds are apparent for areas where the mountains are roughly perpendicular to the northerly winds. Here in the SLV, some of the coldest temps of the season were observed this morning. Lows in the northern Utah valleys were hovering in the upper teens and low 20s. 

GOES-19 East True Color 1/9/2026

SLV and central Wasatch minimum surface temperatures (F) 1/9/2026

Relative to seasonal norms, temps are not that cold, but relative to temps so far this winter it feels colder. Normal lows for this time of year should be in the low to mid 20s in the SLV. Observed mid-level (700 mb) temps are also some of the coldest of the season. The KSLC 12Z sounding noted -17 C at 700 mb, which is not record breaking but is within the 90th percentile. 

1/9/2026 1800Z 700 mb Analysis

1/9/2026 300 mb Jet Analysis: heights, ageostrophic wind, and omega (red=down; magenta=up)

The storm from yesterday has now exited the state, leaving cold temperatures and northerly winds in it's wake. Conditions have now stabilized, with ridging and subsidence building across the region. Winners from the storm include the Cottonwoods and portions of the Oquirrhs. Total storm snow totals range from 10-22" in the Wasatch. SLV bench areas got 1-2". 

Snow Totals Wasatch Mtns as of 1/9/2026 15Z

Snow Totals Wasatch Mtns as of 1/9/2026 15Z

Snow Totals Oquirrh SNOTELs as of 1/19/2026

The N-NW winds and cold lower to mid-level temperature helped induce some lake effect snow showers yesterday afternoon through the overnight hours, which dropped periods of heavy snow from the Cottonwoods/SLV over to the Tooele Valley. The Oquirrhs benefited quite a bit from the lake effect as well. The mid-elevation SNOTEL sites in the Oquirrhs picked up anywhere from 8-10". 

Lake Effect Snow 1/8/2026 - KMTX Radar Composite Reflectivity 1/8/2026 22Z - 1/9/2026 0400Z