SALT LAKE CITY — Meteorologists warn that the storm headed to Utah could make for difficult mountain travel in the next few days. Still, skiers and snowboarders are hoping the pre-Halloween storm in Utah's mountains will bring more fun than just tricks.

The National Weather Service offices in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction have issued a series of winter weather warnings for Utah's mountain ranges, where up to a foot of snow could fall between Monday night and Wednesday morning – possibly more in some areas.

A few inches of snow is also forecast for Wasatch backcountry communities, while some snow is possible on the valley floors, but rain is more likely.

Storm timing

A few lingering showers are forecast Monday from a small system across central and southern Utah, but a low-pressure system from the Pacific Northwest will break a lull in storms that developed over most of the state after a helpful storm in mid-October.

A cold front ahead of the storm is expected to arrive in Utah late afternoon and early evening hours Monday, bringing a wave of showers, KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said. Ahead of its arrival, windy conditions are forecast, including gusts of up to 50 mph in places like Cedar City on Monday.

Rain is expected along most of the Wasatch Front and northern Utah through the evening. The wave of precipitation is expected to continue in these regions overnight and spread to most of the state by early Tuesday.

“This will be the brunt of the system. It's an overnight snow,” Johnson said, adding that the snow line will start at about 7,500 feet elevation and above but will drop to about 5,000 feet by Tuesday morning if showers continue.

Scattered showers are forecast across the state through Tuesday night and Wednesday morning as the core of the storm moves out of the state.

Expected accumulations

The National Weather Service's winter weather warnings include varying forecasts for snow accumulation over the next few days. It says:

• 6 to 12 inches of snow is possible along the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains. More than 16 inches of snow could fall in the upper Cottonwood Canyons, but a weather service snow projection model predicts most ski areas in the canyon will see snow depths of about 1 foot.
• 4 to 8 inches of snow is possible along the Abajo, Book Cliffs/Wasatch Plateau, Central, La Sal and Southern Mountains. Amounts closer to 1 foot are possible in the Tushar Range and ridges near Fillmore.
• Five to five inches of snow is possible along the Wasatch Backcountry and southwest Wyoming.

The Wasatch Backcountry advisory says there is a potential for “locally higher amounts of snow” of up to 8 inches in areas such as Park City and parts of Uinta County, Wyoming, but the weather service's snow projection model lists one to two inches at most . The difference may lie in when and where the snowfall line is.

Regardless, the agency says motorists should prepare for “winter driving conditions” on elevated roads.

“Hazardous conditions could impact Tuesday morning and evening commutes,” the warnings said.

However, it's good news for the state's 15 ski resorts as they prepare for the new ski year. Brian Head Resort plans to be the first resort to open this year, with November 8th listed as its opening day.

Meanwhile, a KSL weather model predicts most of the precipitation will fall along the Wasatch and Central Mountains, which could see close to an inch by the end of Tuesday. Not as much as expected elsewhere, but there is potential to collect 0.10 inches or more in most regions.

Johnson said an area between the southern half of the Wasatch Front and Cedar City has the greatest chance of a half-inch of rainfall in the valleys.

The timing will likely result in roads potentially becoming slick during the Tuesday morning commute.

Another drop in temperature

Utah's recent streak of above-average temperatures will end as the storm approaches.

High temperatures across the Wasatch Front and northern Utah are expected to peak in the upper 40s and lower 50s on Tuesday and Wednesday after reaching 72 degrees in some areas on Sunday. High temperatures will fall to the upper 50s and lower 60s across all regions on Monday.

Multiple freeze warnings have been issued across the state, including in parts of the Wasatch Front, where freezing temperatures are possible overnight between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

For southern Utah, highs in the mid to upper 70s are forecast for the St. George and Moab areas on Monday. These will fall into the mid to upper 50s and low 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A slight warming is forecast for Halloween before another storm potentially hits the state over the weekend.

Complete seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.