A flood watch has been issued for portions of Utah, including Zion National Park and Capitol Reef National Park, due to the potential for flooding caused by excessive rainfall. According to the National Weather Service Salt Lake City, the watch is scheduled to be in effect from late Saturday night through Sunday evening.
The watch covers several regions, including Castle Country, San Rafael Swell, Bryce Canyon Country, Southern Mountains, and South Central Utah. Other affected areas include the Glen Canyon Recreation Area/Lake Powell, Western Canyonlands, Lower Washington County, and the vicinity of Capitol Reef National Park.
Specific locations identified by the National Weather Service include Hanksville, Brian Head, Bullfrog, Springdale, Ivins, Green River, Loa, Alton, Escalante, Castle Dale, Price, Hurricane, Emery, Bryce Canyon City, St George, Goblin Valley, Kanab, Big Water, and Torrey.
Widespread moderate to at times heavy precipitation is expected across much of southern, southeast, and east central Utah. This rainfall is expected to begin late Saturday night and continue throughout the day Sunday.
Moist antecedent conditions from recent heavy rains may result in efficient and excessive runoff. This could cause rivers, creeks, streams, dry washes, and slot canyons to run fast and high. Additionally, flood-prone locations such as slickrock areas and recent burn scars may become inundated, and backcountry roads may become impassable due to the runoff.
The National Weather Service advises residents in flood-prone areas to be prepared to take action if flooding develops. People are encouraged to monitor later forecasts and remain alert for potential Flood Warnings.
For more information regarding flood safety, the National Weather Service provides resources at http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood.
