As the first day of the new year unfolds, Salt Lake City residents are experiencing light rain and mist with temperatures hovering at 34°F, bringing with it a certain chill that clings to the skin and seeps into the bones. The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City reports a humidity level of 86% and a wind speed that's hardly a whisper at WNW 3 MPH, barely stirring the languid air.
The city, dressed in a veil of subdued gray, offers a somber yet tranquil ambiance as the visibility stands at a modest 4.00 miles; the calmness of the day disrupted only by the intermittent sound of raindrops, confirming the forecast that insists upon a 100% chance of precipitation throughout New Year's Day and into the night the dew point is a meager few degrees shy of freezing which somberly hints, without promise, at a world where ice might lace over these same streets.
Looking ahead, the weather refuses to shed its dreary coat, with predictions for continuous rain, particularly before 11 am on Friday, and an expected high near 49°F. The ensuing nights are set to be mostly cloudy, with Saturday offering a brief reprieve, boasting a high near 54°F before the rains return, holding the city in a persistent embrace with a 50 percent chance of rain trailing into the weekend.
The forecast, at the mercy of nature's whims, suggests a likely pattern of rain through to Monday with the week beginning under the stronghold of likely showers and the potential drama of thunderstorms by nightfall, though highs remain constant near the early 50s the wind, having woken from its slumber, will now tease and twist through the city with a little more intention, not strong but telling of storms that brew beyond the mountaintops.
As the week progresses, the NWS hints at a flirtation with winter's touch, as Tuesday could see a mix of rain and snow, with "a slight chance" of the same on Wednesday, the high temperatures serving as Salt Lake City's shield against a full descent into winter's chill.
