The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for Cottonwood Heights and Holladay, with temperatures forecast to hit 104°F on Saturday, August 1, and remain above 100°F through Sunday evening.
The warning takes effect at noon Saturday and runs through 9 p.m. Sunday, August 2. It covers the Northern Wasatch Front, Salt Lake Valley, Tooele and Rush Valleys, and Utah Valley. The NWS upgraded the alert from a watch to a warning on Thursday, July 30, signaling higher confidence that dangerous heat will arrive.
Highs in the lower 100s on Friday will climb to 104°F Saturday, according to the NWS forecast for Cottonwood Heights. Overnight lows in the lower 70s will offer little relief. Previous record highs for the weekend sit in the mid-100s, meaning new records are possible.
Why overnight matters most
NWS meteorologist Sam Webber told KSL on July 26 that overnight lows are the most dangerous part of the pattern. "The more impactful part of this is the overnight low temperatures, which are really, really struggling to cool off, really at all," Webber said. Overnight lows in the lower Salt Lake Valley could reach 80°F, with most of the Wasatch Front staying in the mid-to-upper 70s through the night.
This is the second major heat dome to settle over Utah in July. Salt Lake City broke its all-time temperature record on July 13, reaching 109°F and shattering the previous mark of 107°F set in 1960. On the night of July 27, the city's overnight low matched its all-time highest minimum temperature at 82°F.
Fire danger rising
A heat dome centered over Utah is drawing drier air into the state and reducing thunderstorm activity, according to AccuWeather. ABC4 meteorologist Noah Price warned Thursday, July 30 that critical fire danger could emerge as early as late this weekend. Dry lightning strikes combined with hot temperatures and parched vegetation compound the risk.
Unified Fire Authority, which serves both Cottonwood Heights and Holladay, has already deployed crews to Oregon to fight wildfires this week as local fire season peaks. Neither UFA nor the Cottonwood Heights Police Department had issued public statements on the heat warning as of Thursday.
Cooling resources and safety tips
Salt Lake County has opened Cool Zones for residents without air conditioning and is extending hours at five locations for Sunday. A full directory is available at saltlakecounty.gov/mayor/cool-zones.
The NWS recommends drinking plenty of fluids, staying in air-conditioned spaces, seeking shade, wearing light-colored and loose-fitting clothing, and checking on elderly neighbors and relatives. Heat stroke warning signs include dizziness, headache, nausea, confusion, and loss of consciousness. If someone shows symptoms, immerse them in cold water immediately.
Minor cooling of a few degrees is possible early next week, but rain chances remain slim through most of the week ahead.
