High Wind, Wasatch Mountains I80 North
- When
- December 16, 5:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Wasatch Mountains I80 North forecast zone
- Measured
- 63 kt (72 mph)
High Wind in Utah, December 16, 1996
A strong arctic front blew through the state on this date. High winds from the northeast developed as this front moved through.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 6
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
A strong arctic front blew through the state on this date. High winds from the northeast developed as this front moved through. Wind gusts from 70-110 mph were recorded from all the remote observing platforms in the mountains. The highest wind gust measured was 111 mph on Baldy mountain at the Alta ski resort. At a skiing event at the Deer Valley ski resort, a 12 foot metal judges' stand was blown over. 6 of the judges were injured in the incident. Most of the state's ski lifts had to be closed. These winds also surfaced in some valleys in eastern Utah as well. Wind gusts estimated to be as high as 80 mph caused considerable damage in places. In Emery windows were blown out af a van. In Ferron roof and chimney damage was reported. There were also several reports of high profile vehicles being blown over. In Castledale a 40 foot trailer was blown off the road.
Event by event
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Wasatch Mountains South of I80
- When
- December 16, 5:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Wasatch Mountains South of I80 forecast zone
- Measured
- 96 kt (110 mph)
- Injuries
- 6 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $100,000
High Wind, Castle Country/Price/Castle/Dale/Emery
- When
- December 16, 5:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Castle Country/Price/Castle/Dale/Emery forecast zone
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
High Wind, San Rafael Swell/Greene River/Hanksville
- When
- December 16, 5:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- San Rafael Swell/Greene River/Hanksville forecast zone
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
High Wind, Central and Southwest Mountains
- When
- December 16, 5:00 AM MST to 1:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central and Southwest Mountains forecast zone
- Measured
- 70 kt (81 mph)
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Dense Fog in California, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 16 to 18, 1996
- Winter Storm in Indiana, December 16, 1996
- Cold in Nebraska, December 16 to 19, 1996
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in Montana, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Winter Storm in Illinois, December 16, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 16 to 17, 1996
- Cold in New Mexico, December 16 to 18, 1996
More
Every storm in Utah in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5582960, 5582961, 5582962, 5582963, 5582964.