Triple-digit temperatures are returning to the Wasatch Front this week, with forecasts calling for highs near 104°F from Thursday, Aug. 6, through Saturday, Aug. 8, and official heat alerts expected to follow.

The dangerous heat arrives just as wildfire smoke continues to degrade air quality across Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills and Lehi, compounding health risks for vulnerable residents.

What's coming

A ridge of high pressure is forecast to strengthen over Utah starting Thursday, pushing temperatures back into triple digits across the Wasatch Front, according to ABC4 Utah meteorologist Cedric Haynes. Salt Lake City is forecast to hit 104°F on both Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8. Communities along the Wasatch Front, including Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills and Lehi, sit in the same valley corridor and can expect comparable conditions.

Haynes wrote in his Aug. 5 forecast that heat alerts will "most likely be issued as overnight lows will provide little in the way of relief only dipping into the 70's and 80's." No formal National Weather Service advisory for the Aug. 6–8 window had been issued as of Wednesday, Aug. 5.

The heat risk is forecast to reach "major" and "extreme" categories for most valley areas during the three-day stretch.

Back-to-back extremes

This is the second dangerous heat event in just over a week. The NWS issued extreme heat warnings for the Wasatch Front for the Aug. 1–3 weekend, when temperatures reached up to 105°F, according to KSL.

Meanwhile, air quality across the area remains in the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category as of Wednesday due to smoke from the Widemouth 2 Fire in Utah and fires in Nevada and the Pacific Northwest. As we reported Aug. 4, the air quality advisory runs through Wednesday. The combination of lingering smoke and extreme heat creates elevated danger for the elderly, young children and those with respiratory or heart conditions.

How to stay safe

Standard NWS heat safety guidance, repeated during the Aug. 1–3 warnings, calls for residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, avoid direct sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles, as car interiors can reach lethal temperatures within minutes.

Utah County residents looking for cooling centers should contact their local city offices or dial 2-1-1 for available resources. Salt Lake County operates more than 60 cool zones, but Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills and Lehi fall under Utah County jurisdiction.

Relief is forecast to arrive by Sunday, when monsoonal moisture is expected to return with chances for showers and thunderstorms, pushing Wasatch Front temperatures back into the 90s.