Alert archive / Utah / Snow Advisories in 2008

Snow Advisory 1, NWS Salt Lake City, UT

January 4, 2008

NWS Salt Lake City, UT issued this snow advisory at Jan 4, 2008, 4:27 PM MST. It took effect at Jan 4, 2008, 10:00 PM MST. It was in force for 11 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 4, 2008, 4:27 PM MST (23:27 UTC)
In effect from
Jan 4, 2008, 10:00 PM MST
Expired
Jan 5, 2008, 8:49 AM MST
In force
11 hr
Issued by
NWS Salt Lake City, UT

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this snow advisory went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Salt Lake City, UT wrote its last area forecast discussion before this snow advisory went out at Jan 4, 9:50 AM MST, 6 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 9:50 AM MST, 6 hours 37 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
950 AM MST FRI JAN 4 2008

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD PACIFIC TROUGH WILL ENTER THE GREAT BASIN LATER
TODAY...AND REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A MAJOR
WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT MOST OF THE AREA THIS WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...STILL ON TRACK FOR A MAJOR WIND EVENT LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT SATURDAY. NOT
MUCH CHANGE IN MOST RECENT MODELS WITH GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS AT 700 MB
IN THE PREFRONTAL SOUTHWEST FLOW IN BOTH GFS AND NAM. CURRENT
PACKAGE HAS HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRING IN WESTERN VALLEYS
OVERNIGHT BUT WITH STRONGEST WINDS ALOFT AT THIS TIME AND
TIGHTENING SURFACE GRADIENT...WARNING LEVEL WINDS LIKELY TO MIX TO
THE SURFACE DESPITE NOCTURNAL SURFACE COOLING. WILL RECONSIDER
WHETHER TO MODIFY EXPIRATION TIME OF HIGH WIND WARNING WHEN
PRODUCTS ARE UPDATED LATER THIS MORNING. WILL STILL KEEP HIGH WIND
EVENT SEPARATE FROM THE SNOW EVENT.

EXPECT MOUNTAINS TO START GETTING SNOW IN THE PREFRONTAL SW FLOW
LATE TONIGHT WHILE VALLEYS WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FROPA. EXPECT
INTENSE SNOWFALL WITH AND BEHIND THE FRONT FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 HOURS
AS IT MOVES SOUTH THROUGH THE STATE SATURDAY. FROPA AT SLC APPEARS
TO BE AROUND 14Z. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON VALLEY PRECIP WILL HAVE
ENDED OVER MUCH OF THE WASATCH FRONT...WHILE MOUNTAINS SHOULD
CONTINUE TO SEE SNOW SHOWERS BUT WITH LOWER INTENSITY. COMBINATION
OF WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW SHOULD MAKE FOR VERY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
FOR A FEW HOURS.

BASED ON LATEST MODELS BELIEVE 2-4 INCHES ON THE VALLEY FLOOR
ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT WITH 5-8 ON THE BENCHES. BASICALLY A
REPEAT OF LAST SUNDAYS FROPA BUT ON STEROIDS. CURRENT WINTER STORM
WATCH HAS HIGHER AMOUNTS AND WILL LOWER THE NUMBERS SLIGHTLY WITH
NEXT ISSUANCE. MOUNTAINS STILL SHOULD SEE 1-2 FEET TOTALS BY SATURDAY
NIGHT.

FRONT STALLS ACROSS SOUTHERN UT AND PRECIP WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
MUCH OF SATURDAY NIGHT.

A SECOND STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN SUNDAY AND
SUNDAY NIGHT. QUICK LOOK AT 12Z GFS SUGGESTS SNOW TO DEVELOP OVER
MUCH OF THE STATE AGAIN DURING THE DAY SUNDAY WITH THE HEAVIEST
PRECIP BEING OVER S. UTAH...THIS IS A DEPARTURE FROM PREVIOUS GFS
WHICH HAD HEAVIEST SNOW OVER THE NORTH SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. IF
THE BAROCLINIC ZONE STALLS OVER THE SOUTH IT SEEMS REASONABLE THAT
NEXT TROUGH WOULD DEVELOP A WAVE ALONG THIS STALLED BOUNDARY
RATHER THAN UP NORTH. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH SUNDAY
SYSTEM...WILL DEAL WITH THIS AS A SECOND STORM RATHER THAN A
CONTINUATION OF THE SATURDAY EVENT.

COLD ADVECTION AT 500 MB CONTINUES UNTIL MONDAY AFTERNOON...SO
EXPECT OROGRAPHIC SNOW THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY IN AREAS FAVORED BY
WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW.

&&

.AVIATION...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST OVER 25 KTS BY 18Z TODAY AT
THE SLC TERMINAL AND PLAN ON ISSUING AIRPORT WIND WARNING SHORTLY.
WINDS WILL THEN CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH TONIGHT. SOUTHERLY
WINDS AT 2000 FT AGL WILL INCREASE TO OVER 50 KTS BY 20Z AND COULD
EXCEED 60 KTS BETWEEN 03 AND 09Z SATURDAY WHILE GUSTS AT THE SURFACE
COULD REACH 50 KTS DURING THIS TIME. VFR CIGS ABV 7 KFT WILL PREVAIL
THRU 02Z THEN THERE IS AN INCREASING CHANCE OF DROPPING BELOW 7000
FT AFTER THAT. A STRONG COLD FRONT WITH LIFR OR VLIFR CONDITIONS IN
HEAVY SNOW WILL AFFECT THE SLC TERMINAL FOR AROUND 4 TO 5 HOURS
BETWEEN 14Z AND 19Z SATURDAY.

&&

.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ007-UTZ008.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR
     UTZ007-UTZ008-UTZ009-UTZ010.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM FRIDAY FOR UTZ517.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR UTZ517-
     UTZ518.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ003-UTZ005-
     UTZ015-UTZ016.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO MIDNIGHT SUNDAY FOR
     UTZ001-UTZ002-UTZ003-UTZ004-UTZ006.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ002-UTZ004-UTZ006.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ014.

     WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR
     UTZ011.

WY...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SATURDAY FOR
     WYZ021.

&&

PUBLIC...DUNN
AVIATION...WILENSKY

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 4, 3:25 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
325 PM MST FRI JAN 4 2008

UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-051330-
CACHE VALLEY/UTAH PORTION-NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT-
SALT LAKE AND TOOELE VALLEYS-SOUTHERN WASATCH FRONT-
GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT AND MOUNTAINS-WASATCH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS-
WASATCH MOUNTAINS I-80 NORTH-WASATCH MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF I-80-
WESTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-WASATCH PLATEAU/BOOK CLIFFS-
WESTERN UINTA BASIN-CASTLE COUNTRY-SAN RAFAEL SWELL-
SANPETE/SEVIER VALLEYS-WEST CENTRAL UTAH-SOUTHWEST UTAH-
UTAHS DIXIE AND ZION NATIONAL PARK-SOUTH CENTRAL UTAH-
GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA/LAKE POWELL-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-
SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST WYOMING-
325 PM MST FRI JAN 4 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF
UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND
WESTERN VALLEYS OF UTAH THROUGH TONIGHT. THESE WINDS ARE AHEAD OF A
STRONG COLD FRONT WHICH WILL REACH EXTREME NORTHWEST UTAH LATE
TONIGHT. MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS WILL SEE WIND GUSTS WELL ABOVE 70 MPH ON
THE EXPOSED RIDGES THROUGH TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO EFFECT
THE WESTERN VALLEYS THROUGH TONIGHT. NUMEROUS HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND
WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND WESTERN VALLEYS.

PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES.
WINTER STORM WARNINGS WILL BEGIN IN THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AS HEAVY
SNOW DEVELOPS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT MUCH OF UTAH ON SATURDAY. HEAVY
SNOWS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS AND MANY VALLEY AREAS. NUMEROUS
WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY.

THE MAIN PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH UTAH SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE...WITH MUCH COLDER
TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT PACIFIC STORM WILL AFFECT
MAINLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE LATE TUESDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. A SUBSEQUENT COLD PACIFIC STORM MAY FOLLOW FOR LATE IN
THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS
ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING AND REPORTING PROCEDURES.

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)

GIBSON

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 4, 4:20 PM MST, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
420 PM MST FRI JAN 04 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SE SNOWBIRD           40.57N 111.64W
01/04/2008  M86 MPH          SALT LAKE          UT   MESONET

0245 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SW PARK CITY          40.61N 111.54W
01/04/2008  M79 MPH          SUMMIT             UT   MESONET

0215 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 E OGDEN               41.20N 111.88W
01/04/2008  M71 MPH          WEBER              UT   MESONET

0245 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W SUNDANCE            40.37N 111.59W
01/04/2008  M68 MPH          UTAH               UT   MESONET

0300 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SW PARK CITY          40.61N 111.53W
01/04/2008  M66 MPH          SUMMIT             UT   MESONET

0200 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SW ALTA               40.56N 111.64W
01/04/2008  M64 MPH          UTAH               UT   MESONET

0300 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE SNOWBIRD           40.57N 111.63W
01/04/2008  M68 MPH          SALT LAKE          UT   MESONET

0255 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 16 NW DUGWAY            40.37N 113.00W
01/04/2008  M62 MPH          TOOELE             UT   MESONET

0412 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG SNOWBIRD                40.57N 111.65W
01/04/2008                   SALT LAKE          UT   PUBLIC

            18 INCH DIAMETER TREE FELLED BY WIND GUST NEAR 9000 FEET.

&&

GIBSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Salt Lake City, UT issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 3, 9:07 PM MSTWind AdvisorySLC9 hr
Jan 4, 5:46 AM MSTWinter Storm WarningSLC3 days
Jan 4, 5:49 AM MSTHigh Wind WarningSLC26 hr
Jan 4, 5:49 AM MSTWind AdvisorySLC26 hr
Jan 4, 4:27 PM MSTSnow and Blowing Snow AdvisorySLC20 hr

Nearby

Snow Advisories in Utah, 2008Every snow advisory in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.