From hot to cold to hot, La Niña weather pattern brings wind, haze, uncertainty to Southern Utah

Dust from wind obscures the view from above Bluff Street early Monday evening, April 11, 2022 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — From near triple-digit heat mid-week to a hard freeze warning for overnight Friday-Saturday, the adage “if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes” couldn’t be more appropriate than for Southern Utah.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Alex Desmet said Friday afternoon during a phone interview with St. George News that the hazy conditions to which Southern Utah residents awakened this morning were brought about by a “fast-moving, strong cold front” that produced “winds largely out of the northeast” along the Interstate 15 corridor. One gust, he said, was clocked at 64 mph at about 4 a.m. near mile post 29.

“Winds of that strength can loft these particles in the air, which creates the haze you’re seeing,” said Desmet, who is based in Salt Lake City. “Once the winds calm down, you can expect the conditions to improve.”

Red Flag warnings have been issued almost daily. And Desmet added that Nevada and Arizona are experiencing similar conditions, which result largely from the cold front “passing over ag fields and other dry surfaces and kicking up dust and sand.”

But another cold front will push cool air south overnight. So while the air quality will improve, below-freezing temperatures are expected in Iron County and possibly northern Washington County, the NWS reported on its website. Desmet said especially in Iron County and to the north, homeowners should “protect sensitive vegetation and disconnect hoses”

Additionally, the freeze alert stated:

Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing.

Desmet said St. George will see temperatures in the 40s overnight but the warming trend will produce more seasonable temperatures in the 80s and low 90s from Sunday onward.

National Weather Service Monthly Temperature Outlook map shows the predicted higher temperatures for Utah, May 20, 2022 | Courtesy of Climate Prediction Center, National Weather Service, St. George News

This falls in line with what the NWS’ Climate Prediction Center announced Thursday: Utahns can expect temperatures for at least the next 30 days to be very warm.

“The odds are in favor of above-normal temperatures across the Great Basin,” said Desmet, adding that the precipitation forecast appears to be “more mixed.” The CPC’s predictions charts indeed show a 40-70% probability of above-normal temperatures across Utah, while there is an “equal chance” precipitation will be in the normal range.

“We’re still in La Niña pattern,” said Desmet, in reference to what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration describes as the phenomenon when “trade winds are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. These cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada.”

Desmet also said “how robust the monsoon is” remains the wildcard when considering whether it will have a significant impact on the current drought, which the climate center indicated likely will continue well into summer.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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