Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is the state capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Utah.

Geography and climate

Main Article: Geography of Salt Lake City

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Salt Lake City is located at 40°45 N and 111°53 W. The total area is 285.9 km² (110.4 mi²). It sits in the Salt Lake Valley at an average elevation of 4,327 feet (1,320 meters) above sea level.

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The Wasatch Range rises approximately 11,500 ft (3,500 m) above sea level 5 mi (8 km) to the east of Downtown. The Oquirrh Mountains, located 7 mi (11 km) west of the city, rise to about 10,000 ft (3,050 m). The Traverse Mountains at the south end of the valley rise to 6,000 ft (1,830 m) above sea level, partially bridging the gap between the Wasatch and Oquirrh ranges. Many ski resorts are promoted as having the "Greatest Snow on Earth" for the light, powdery snow that is often considered great for skiing. These mountains are also the namesake of the Wasatch Front.

Related Topics:
Wasatch Range - Oquirrh Mountains - Traverse Mountains - Ski resort - Wasatch Front

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Three major canyons cut through the Wasatch Range and open into Salt Lake City proper. The northernmost is City Creek Canyon that opens into the downtown, bordered on either side by Capitol Hill and The Avenues. Next is Emigration Canyon, the canyon the Mormons used to initially enter the valley. It opens up on the East Bench just south of the University of Utah, near Hogle Zoo and This Is The Place State Park. Traversed by Interstate 80, Parley's Canyon opens up at the very southeast corner of the city proper near Canyon Rim, an unincorporated residential suburb.

Related Topics:
City Creek Canyon - Downtown - Capitol Hill - The Avenues - Emigration Canyon - East Bench - University of Utah - Hogle Zoo - This Is The Place State Park - Interstate 80 - Parley's Canyon - Canyon Rim

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The valley floor consists of the lakebed of ancient Lake Bonneville. This lake once encompassed the eastern Great Basin. Its largest remnant is the Great Salt Lake, located 10 mi (12 km) north of the city. The Bonneville Salt Flats west of the city are a product of the dried up lake. Due to its high salinity content, the Great Salt Lake is devoid of most aquatic life. Marshlands and mudflats exist on the border of the Great Salt Lake. Algae buildup and decay commonly results in a phenomena known as “lake stink”, which serves as one of the only reminders to Salt Lakers that they live near a major body of water.

Related Topics:
Lake Bonneville - Great Basin - Great Salt Lake - Bonneville Salt Flats - Aquatic life - Marshland - Mudflat - Algae

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The Jordan River flows through the city from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. Early Latter-Day Saint settlers named the river after its counterpart in the Holy Land, noting similarities as a fresh water lake source and an inland salt sea destination.

Related Topics:
Jordan River - Utah Lake - Great Salt Lake - Holy Land - Salt

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Significant seismic activity has been forecasted for the area. The Wasatch Fault, located in the Wasatch Mountains, is considered overdue for a major earthquake. Concerns have been voiced over possible damage resulting from the liquefaction of the clay and sand-based soil during an earthquake.

Related Topics:
Seismic activity - Wasatch Fault - Earthquake - Liquefaction - Clay - Sand - Soil

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Cityscape

The city, as well as the county, is on a grid plan. Most major streets run precisely north-south and east-west. Its origin is the southeast corner of Temple Square, the block containing the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Addresses are coordinates within the system. 100 units is equal to 1/8th of a mile (200 m), the length of blocks in downtown Salt Lake City. Locals often abbreviate the addresses when speaking. For instance, one might speak of the intersection of 700 East and 3300 South as 7th East and 33rd South.

Related Topics:
County - Grid plan - Temple Square - Salt Lake Temple - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Coordinates

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Latter-day Saint founder Joseph Smith planned it in the “Plat of the City of Zion”. In his plan the city was to be developed into 135 10-acre lots. However, the blocks became irregular during the 1800s when the LDS Church lost authority over growth and before zoning ordinances in the 1920s.

Related Topics:
Joseph Smith - 1800s - 1920s

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There are three distinct street patterns in Salt Lake City:

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• Initial square blocks crisscrossed by later small streets
• 2.5-acre (10,100 m²) blocks in the Avenues
• Rectangular blocks south from 900 South

Neighborhoods

Salt Lake City has many informal neighborhoods. The eastern portion of the city has higher property values than its western counterpart. This is a result of the railroad being built in the western half as well as scenic views from inclined grounds in the eastern portion. Immigrants find housing more affordable on the west side, which results in demographic differences. Interstate 15 further solidified these divisions. However, recently, these demographic differences have begun to even themselves out. For example, the increasingly trendy small Marmalade District on the west side of Capitol Hill was once considered seedy as few as 5-10 years ago has experienced a magnificent recovery to become an eclectic and sought-after location.

Related Topics:
Neighborhood - Property values - Railroad - Immigrants - Demographic - Interstate 15

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Neighborhoods:{{List of Salt Lake City neighborhoods}}

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Climate

Main article: Climate of Salt Lake City

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Salt Lake City's climate is separated into four very distinct, widely variable seasons. A cold, snowy winter is followed by a wet spring with wide temperature swings. Overnight snow often accompanies heavy rainstorms in early spring. Summer is dry with scattered and small, but powerful, thunderstorms, while the climate in fall is widely variable, even more so than in spring.

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Winter weather is moderated by the Great Salt Lake to the northwest of the city and the Rocky Mountains to the north and east of the state, which serve as barriers to frigid arctic air. Salt Lake City's record low temperature is −30°F (−34°C), set on February 9, 1933. Snow is frequent from late November through March. The airport averages 58.7 in (1,491 mm) per year, with significantly higher amounts received on the benches. Major sources of precipitation are winter snow storms originating in the Gulf of Alaska, late winter rains from Hawaiian waters, and summer monsoons from the Gulf of California. During winter, temperature inversions are common, which results in cold, hazy, and foggy conditions in the valley while the surrounding mountains enjoy warm, sunny days.

Related Topics:
Great Salt Lake - Rocky Mountains - February 9 - 1933 - Snow - November - March - Gulf of Alaska - Hawaiian waters - Gulf of California - Temperature inversion

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Summers are likewise moderated somewhat by the lake, and also by the city's high elevation. Days over 100°F (38°C) occur on average 4–5 times per year, but such days are marked with low humidity, which, combined with the altitude, produce a large daily range in temperatures, and hence, rather cool nights in summer. Salt Lake City's record high temperature is 107°F (41°C), first set on July 26, 1960, and again on July 13, 2002. The summer monsoon rising from Mexico and Arizona passes through the region beginning in mid-July and continuing through September, bringing intense but short thunderstorm activity. Salt Lake City's yearly average temperature is 52.0°F (11.1°C). May is the wettest month and July is the driest. The airport averages 16.50 in (4,191 mm) of precipitation per year.

Related Topics:
July 26 - 1960 - July 13 - 2002 - Monsoon - Mexico - Arizona - July - September - Thunderstorm - May

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