Utah’s capital experienced a massive cold-snap.
As a massive cold front hovered over Utah over the weekend, the capital of Salt Lake City experienced a plunge in temperature that has not been seen for at least 142 years. According to a report from Salt Lake International Airport, which experienced the brunt of the cold front, temperatures dropped as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. With this report, Utah has set a new record for low temperatures, breaking its previous record of 22 degrees Fahrenheit set back in 1878.
Other parts of Utah experienced a variety of cold weather phenomena. The city of Bountiful received 5.5 inches of snow, while Alta and Kimball Junction experienced powerful wind chills that brought the temperature below zero.
“Full-on winter — treat it like a mid-January day,” KSL meteorologist Grant Weyman said. “That’s how cold it is this morning.”
This cold snap is a reversal from what Utah had been experiencing overall for the month of October. The average temperature for the month was about 59.2 degree Fahrenheit, which is actually about 5 degrees warmer than Utah typically is around this time of year. At the Salt Lake International Airport, temperatures have fluctuated greatly, from the 20 degrees seen today to the high of 85 degrees witnessed just two weeks ago.
Meteorologists have assured that temperatures will rise back up by the end of the week in time for Halloween, with projections landing between the mid-60s and high 70s.
