Utah, 1996

Waterspout in Utah, September 16, 1996

September 16, 1996 · NWS SLC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An extremely cold airmass moved into northern Utah and provided for the development of some rare weather phenomena. State Park officals observed 4 waterspouts over Bear Lake during the mid-morning hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

An extremely cold airmass moved into northern Utah and provided for the development of some rare weather phenomena. State Park officals observed 4 waterspouts over Bear Lake during the mid-morning hours. Each of the waterspouts was brief and no damage occurred.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.

Waterspout, Rich

When
September 16, 7:45 AM MST to 8:40 AM MST
Where
Rich County, Bear Lake
Coordinates
41.632, -111.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Waterspout
A tornado over water. One that moves ashore is filed as a tornado from the coastline on.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Utah in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, September 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5570143.