Mid-Day Frontal Development Update

MesoWest Data shows an intensifying frontal trough extending from southeast to northwest across the West Desert and Southern Great Salt Lake.  It is presently in the low-to-mid 60s (even a 70F!) to the south of the front, but to the north of the front, it is 58F at Hat Island and 48F at Gunnison Island.

MesoWest plot at 1930 UTC 16 March 2011.

A healthy precipitation band is located about 100 km north of the surface trough near the north end of the Great Salt Lake, although radar echos are beginning to develop along and immediately behind the trough.

The meteogram from Hat Island is really impressive and shows a rapid temperature rise to 66F followed by a quick drop to 58F with the frontal passage.

Hat Island temperature meteogram at 1915 UTC 16 Mar 2011.

You can't miss the frontal wind shift in the vector wind plot either.

Hat Island Vector Wind Meteogram at 1915 UTC 16 March 2011.

I expect the front to continue to collapse and intensify over the next couple of hours.