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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Critical fire weather conditions for southern Utah today as hot and windy weather continues
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4) – Happy Monday, Utah! After high heat over the weekend, our weather pattern begins to shift Monday as a weak tough in the Pacific Northwest moves inland. That change will flatten the ridge that's been keeping things toasty, especially in northern Utah. As a result, northern areas can expect a slight cooldown compared to Sunday, while southern Utah holds steady with hot, dry conditions. With the trough approaching and winds picking up, we'll see gustier conditions Monday afternoon and evening—most notably across southern and eastern Utah. That will stir up fire weather concerns, especially with how dry the air remains. Red Flag Warnings are in effect from noon to midnight today for the southern half of the state due to the increase in winds. This means that existing fires will spread rapidly in addition to any new fires that start. Wind gusts up to 35 mph are expected with sustained winds of 10-25 mph. Late Monday night, a weak front will move through the state. It looks to be mostly dry since moisture is very limited. Still, a couple of isolated sprinkles can't be ruled out for northern Utah, but most of us will stay dry. By Tuesday morning, that front will have swept through most of Utah and will help drop temperatures 5-10 degrees from Monday, with the most noticeable change across northern Utah. Winds will shift more northwesterly behind the front, and while they'll still be breezy, they won't be as gusty as Monday. Midweek, high pressure over the Southwest will start sliding westward, keeping things dry but allowing for a gradual warm-up Wednesday. Winds will stay relatively light, and the pattern will start to resemble what we saw earlier in the week. Thursday brings another round of very hot, very dry weather. Southwest winds will increase ahead of another trough diving into the Pacific Northwest. Relative humidity will drop into the single digits and teens, and temperatures could flirt with record highs—especially in the valleys. Salt Lake City could hit 102°, which would break the record for that day. Heading into Friday and Saturday, the next system moves closer. Winds are expected to ramp up again, and a weak cold front could start pushing into northern Utah by Saturday. That front may bring some relief from the heat up north, but to the south, gusty winds and bone-dry air will keep fire weather concerns front and center. Stay tuned. We'll keep you up-to-date in our 4Warn Weather forecast both on-air and online, we are Good4Utah! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utahns remember local fashion designer killed in protest
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Earlier today, Salt Lake City Police identified the victim killed in Saturday's shooting during a 'No Kings' protest in downtown Salt Lake City. Police say Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was hit and killed by a stray bullet during yesterday's protest by a 'peacekeeper' volunteer. The volunteer told police they fired at Arturo Roberto after spotting him with an AR-15 style rifle. Shooting victim in SLC 'No Kings' protest dies in hospital Ah Loo was taken to the hospital after the shooting but died from their injuries. According to a GoFundMe set up for the family, Ah Loo — also known as 'Afa' — was well known with his work with the nonprofit Creative Pacific Foundation and as a fashion designer here in Utah. Ah Loo appeared several times on Good Things Utah as a guest to showcase his designs and promote Pacific Islander events in the community. Utah Rep. Doug Fiefia remebered Ah Loo in a post on social media: 'Heartbroken by the tragic loss of Afa Ah Loo. My prayers are with his family, friends, and all who knew him. He was a bright light in our Polynesian community and will be deeply missed. May his loved ones feel peace and comfort during this difficult time.' Utah Rep. Tyler Clancy also issued a statement on social media: 'My heart goes out to the Ah Loo family at this time. Afa was a wonderful man & father who looked out for his community. Sending all of the love and prayers.' Here is Ah Loo's most recent appearance on Good Things Utah three weeks ago: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Eight month old among three people killed in WestFest shooting
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah () — West Valley City Police confirm that three people have been killed and two injured in a shooting at WestFest late Sunday evening. Roxanne Vainuku with West Valley City Police confirms that a total of five people were shot, killing three. The incident started when two groups got into a verbal argument. As police approached the scene to break up the fight, a 16-year-old suspect allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire. A West Valley Police officer responded by drawing his weapon and firing but did not hit the suspect. The victims killed in the shooting were identified as an 18-year-old male, a 41-year-old female and an 8-month-old infant. Police say the 41-year-old woman and the infant were bystanders at West Fest and not involved in the altercation. The 18-year-old was in one of the groups involved in the fight and died. Two teens, a 17-year-old female and a 15-year-old male, were also struck by gunfire in the arm. Police said it is currently unclear if they were connected to either of the two groups. The West Valley Police Department said one officer fired his gun but did not hit the 16-year-old suspect. That suspect has been detained and taken into custody by police. This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as new information becomes available. Attacks between Israel and Iran intensify Republicans face critical week on Trump megabill Critical fire weather conditions for southern Utah today as hot and windy weather continues Eight month old among three people killed in WestFest shooting Utahns remember local fashion designer killed in protest Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Zion National Park celebrates 100 millionth shuttle boarding
ZION NAITIONAL PARK, Utah () — This week, Zion National Park hit the milestone of 100 million boardings of their shuttle system since its launch in 2000. The Zion Canyon Shuttle System was created to address traffic congestion, increasing visitation, and resource impacts in Zion Canyon, according to park officials. Zion National Park worked closely with the Town of Springdale, the Federal Highway Administration, the Utah Department of Transportation, and other partners. The Park said that the shuttle system is key to protecting Zion's incredible landscapes and improving the visitor experience overall, and it carries millions of riders annually. It makes it easier to explore the park without the hassle of traffic and parking. When the shuttle launched in 2000, Zion was seeing 2.4 million visitors annually, but in 2024, visitation was close to 5 million. 'Throughout this growth, the shuttle has remained a cornerstone of the park's management strategy,' Zion National Park said in a press release. visited Zion National Park and spoke with some visitors about the shuttle. 'It's the best way to do it, rather than driving yourself, try to find a parking space, which is really impossible. And then once you get into the park, it's a breeze, yeah,' Mark Keefer and Elena Szeto from California said. The shuttle system was designed to cut down on cars inside Zion Canyon, and visitors told that it's made their trips smoother and more enjoyable. 'It was pretty hard to find a parking spot because it seems really busy here,' Mia Starns and Mary Hughes from Florida said. 'But the shuttle helped out a lot… We had to park outside actually in that little town right there, so the shuttle helped.' The shuttle system has adapted to be more eco-friendly. In September 2024, Zion National Park transitioned its entire shuttle fleet to zero-emission electric vehicles, becoming the first National Park to do so. 'We're never at a loss for a ride to get from point A to point B. It clears up all the congestion. I'm assuming our park permits pay for it, and it's money well spent,' Kathleen Smith from Minnesota told The park celebrated the 100 millionth rider with a custom t-shirt and a gift bag provided by the Zion National Park Forever Project. 'It's probably our fifth time here,' Mark and Elena continued. 'We just love this area. It's beautiful, and we certainly appreciate the park shuttle and the city shuttle and how they integrate. Well, it's definitely a sane way to do it, instead of trying to drive around.' Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said in a press release that the shuttle system is a reflection of everyone who works there to 'help protect this special place.' Zion National Park celebrates 100 millionth shuttle boarding Keep your skin soft and healthy this summer with O'Keeffe's Good4Utah Road Tour: East Canyon State Park Get outdoors and enjoy summer with some hot tech support from Verizon 10 Utah must-sees to add to your summer bucket list Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Weber County farmers hope to see immigration reform for agriculture workers
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said immigration policies are hurting the agriculture industry and that changes are coming. In Weber County, some farmers hope to see major changes. Ronald Stratford is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. 'I'm kind of a hobby farmer these days,' he told ABC4. He used to have 600 dairy cows. His family had been doing that for 65 years. However, these days the dairy cows are gone. In their place, 40 head that he's raising for meat. 'Semi-retired if you want to call it that but I don't know if this time of year that applies at all,' he added.' Currently, he has a couple of part-time employees. 'We had four full-time employees and my brother and me,' he said talking about staffing when the farm had dairy cows. 'It was a full-time job 24/7, 365.' As a farmer and the president of Utah Farmers Union, watching ICE raids at farms in other states has him worried. 'It's devastating,' he stated. 'If we lose the immigrant labor, I don't know how they'll survive.' Stratford said it is often hard to find employees, so farmers hire who the can. He often hired migrant workers throughout the years. They would show him identification before being hired. 'I would probably be foolish to think that not all of those guys had legal papers, but they do now,' he added. 'The work they did for me was essential. I couldn't have run this business without them.' He said those who worked for him were always hardworking, frugal, and family-oriented. He hopes there will be reform to allow those who've been working in the states to gain legal status, and help farmers hire year-round migrant workers. 'There is no federal program for a dairyman to hire the help that he needs,' Stratford stated. 'There is the H2A program which is seasonal workers only. Dairy is not seasonal.' A few miles away, Ogden Bay Produce uses the H2A visa program. 'Once we do all that paperwork and prove that there's that need,' owner and operator Matt Peterson told ABC4. 'We advertise and prove that no local citizens will want to apply for that position. Then the government will give us a number of worker visas.' Peterson said they fill about two thirds of their 30 seasonal employee positions this way. The visa allows the worker to stay from a few weeks to a few months. The longest any of Peterson's workers were able to stay was seven months. 'It's nice to know that these guys' whole purpose of being in our country is to work for me,' Peterson said. 'That's kind of some nice security to know.' Without the program, it would be impossible to run the farm's 170 acres because much of the produce they grow must be harvested by hand. 'But it's not a perfect program,' Peterson added. 'It's incredibly expensive for me as an operator to implement it.' Peterson explained that he provides the workers with housing, covers all travel costs to bring the workers to Utah and then to send them to Mexico when their visa is up, and the federal government sets the wage he pays them. He said this often puts a squeeze on farms, which then causes their prices to increase. 'I think all of the programs need to be reformed and make it easier for the farmers to get these workers up when we need them,' said Peterson. 'And then the guys that are here locally that want to work and have lived the majority of their lives here in Utah or America, who aren't documented and want to work, it's really difficult for them.' He echoed Stratford in naming the strong values his employees demonstrate, and said many of them have become some of his best friends. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
