Originally Published In The Deseret News Friday, June 1, 1990
Weather: Freeze Likely In Some Areas Tonight. Tender Vegetables Need Protection.
An unseasonably cold storm moved through Utah Friday, bringing rain and snow to all but the southeast corner of the state.
William J. Alder, meteorologist in charge of the Salt Lake office of the National Weather Service, said residents with vegetable gardens and fruit trees should be wary of local areas of frost Saturday morning.
Larry Sagers, Utah State University extension horticulturist, advised gardeners to cover their tomato plants and other warm-season crops such as melons, peppers and squashes.
There's not a lot that can be done with fruit trees, but tender vegetables and fruits in some of the colder areas of the state should be protected if they are covered, Sagers said.
In a special statement Friday morning, the Weather Service said snow had fallen in some valley locations such as Fillmore, Milford, Cedar City, Holden, Woodruff and the bench areas of the Salt Lake Valley.
From 3 to 5 inches of snow were reported at Alta and Park City, respectively.
The snow will melt rapidly in the valley areas. Traveling through the mountains should not be much of a problem for motorists, meteorologists said.
"However, as the ridge of high pressure moves in tonight, (Friday) allowing some clearing, the colder valleys of the west and north are likely to see some frost. Those areas most vulnerable are the Cache Valley, Heber and Kamas valleys, the Uintah Basin, the extreme southern part of the Salt Lake Valley, the usual colder spots in Utah County, Richfield, Milford and the Cedar City area and western Utah," the statement said.
If temperatures drop below 40 degrees around sunset Friday night it is very likely residents of those areas will see frost by Saturday morning.
Temperatures are expected to rise rapidly through the weekend.
Several areas received needed moisture Thursday night and early Friday. Delta, Millard County, reported 0.30 of an inch; North Salt Lake, 0.52; north Provo, 0.15; Kearns, 0.85; Richfield, 0.03; Draper, 0.27; and the Salt Lake International Airport, 0.43.
Craig Schmidt, a meteorologist intern, said a couple of funnel clouds were reported near Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake shortly before 10 a.m. Friday.
© 1998 Deseret News Publishing Co.
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