SALT LAKE CITY — A windy day across Utah on Wednesday is the opening act for what is being called a "potent" cold front that is forecast to bring heavy snow to the mountains and possibly the valleys.
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Winds already felt in the western portion of the state will increase Wednesday, with gusts up to 45-50 miles per hour expected in Iron, Beaver, Millard and Tooele counties until early Thursday when the winds shift towards eastern Utah.
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the affected areas that is currently expected to expire at 6 p.m. Thursday.
A Winter Storm Watch will go into effect at 6 a.m. Thursday along the Interstate 15 corridor up and down the state, with the possibility that it will turn into a Winter Storm Warning either Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
When the front arrives, the snow will be at its heaviest on Thursday night before it begins to taper down on Friday.
By the time the storm moves out, northern Utah mountain areas could see between 10-20 inches of snow, with the Cottonwoods receiving even more. The northern mountain valleys should expect up to 8 inches of snow.
The northern valleys could see some snow with forecasts not exceeding 4 inches.
While conditions will improve throughout Friday, some snow could fall on Saturday before things clear up again on Sunday.
