Utah Flood Watches Cover Areas Still Recovering From Recent Storms

Brian Head, a high-elevation community in southeastern Utah, faces the potential for up to 12 inches of snow this weekend. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flood watches for most of southern Utah and portions of central and eastern regions as an atmospheric river and a cold front converge over the state.

The watches, issued by the NWS offices in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colorado, take effect late on Halloween night and extend through the remainder of the weekend. In southeastern Utah, the alerts remain active until Monday morning. Forecasters predict moderate to heavy precipitation will begin late Saturday and continue through most of Sunday.

The alerts warn that excessive runoff could flood rivers, creeks, streams, dry washes, and slot canyons. Low-lying areas, slickrock terrain, and recent burn scars are specifically identified as high-risk zones for flooding.

Rain has already begun to fall in southwestern Utah, with 0.25 to 0.5 inches recorded in parts of the region. A flood warning is currently in effect for the upper Santa Clara River in Pine Valley, Washington County, lasting until 9 p.m. The NWS reported that 0.5 to 1 inch of rain had already fallen, with an additional 1 to 1.5 inches possible in the coming hours. The agency stated that flooding downstream from the upper Santa Clara River to just below Baker Reservoir is imminent or already occurring.

KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson noted that the bulk of the incoming moisture is expected on Sunday and potentially into early next week. Updated weather models indicate 1 to 3 inches of precipitation for most mountain areas. Higher totals are expected near Brian Head and the mountains of southeastern Utah. Higher mountain areas may receive 4 to 8 inches of snow, while the upper Cottonwood Canyons could see 8 to 16 inches.

Valley locations are forecast to receive at least 0.5 inches of precipitation, with over an inch possible in the Wasatch Front, northern Utah, and southern Utah. Erin Walter, a hydrologist for the NWS Grand Junction office, expressed concern about the Four Corners area, which experienced flooding in the previous week. She noted that the probability of excessive rainfall is now moderate in the southeast corner of the state, including the area around Monticello.

This new weather system is arriving after severe floods across parts of southern Utah in the past two weeks. Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson toured flood-damaged communities in San Juan County on Thursday, where some families remain unable to return home. The city of Hurricane, in southwest Utah, declared a state of emergency for flash flooding on October 22. The NWS stated that flood watches can be upgraded to warnings depending on where strong precipitation sets up.

The NWS Salt Lake City office reported that scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected across the state on Friday, particularly in the south, center, and east. Some moisture is expected to reach the Wasatch Front in the afternoon and evening, while isolated showers may occur across the state on Halloween.