SOUTHERN UTAH – The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Southern Utah for Wednesday from noon to 10 p.m.

Affected areas

Southwest Utah, Utah’s Dixie and Zion National Park, including the cities of Beaver, Cedar City, Milford and St. George.

Timing

Winds will increase late Wednesday morning then become strong during the afternoon hours. The winds will decrease Wednesday evening but may remain locally gusty in some areas.

Impacts

Strong winds will make travel difficult, especially for high profile vehicles along east to west oriented routes including but not limited to interstate 70 across eastern Utah and Highway 89 across far Southern Utah. In addition these winds could result in choppy waters and dangerous boating conditions on Lake Powell. Wind sensitive operations will also be affected across south-central and Southeast Utah.

Winds

Southwest 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.

Precautionary/preparedness actions

A wind advisory means that sustained wind speeds of at least 31 mph or gusts of 45 mph are expected. Motorists in the advisory area should be prepared for sudden gusty crosswinds which can make driving difficult.

The strong winds will create dangerous boating conditions on area lakes. These winds will create very choppy water and generate large waves which could capsize or swamp small craft. For your personal safety, operators of small craft are urged to postpone their outings until the winds subside.

For information on potential travel impacts, visit the the Utah Department of Transportation’s website.

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