Utah, 1997

Hail and Damaging Winds in Utah, August 12, 1997

August 12, 1997 · NWS SLC · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms developed on this date across northern Utah. A semi-trailer was blown over on I-70 just south of Green River.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
1
Injuries
2
Property damage
$10,000
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.

Severe thunderstorms developed on this date across northern Utah. A semi-trailer was blown over on I-70 just south of Green River. 3/4" diameter hail was reported in Kanosh and on Johnson's Pass near Dugway. A military forecaster reported a microburst wind gust to 66 mph (57kts) on the Dugway Mesonet. He also reported seeing several funnel clouds over the Dugway Proving Grounds. A 19-year man was killed at the Cherry Campground in Hobble Creek Canyon when a large tree limb was dislodged by thunderstorm winds and struck him.

The radar

The Grand Junction radar (KGJX), 170 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:29 UTC.

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Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Emery

When
August 12, 12:30 PM MST to 12:40 PM MST
Where
Emery County, 3 mi S of Green River
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
38.930, -110.170

Hail, Millard

When
August 12, 2:30 PM MST to 2:45 PM MST
Where
Millard County, Kanosh
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.800, -112.450

Hail, Tooele

When
August 12, 4:50 PM MST
Where
Tooele County, 10 mi ENE of Dugway
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.300, -112.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Tooele

When
August 12, 5:00 PM MST to 5:04 PM MST
Where
Tooele County, (Dpg)michael Aaf Dug
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
40.180, -112.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Utah

When
August 12, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Utah County, 10 mi E of (Pvu)provo Muni Arpt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
40.220, -111.530

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Thunderstorm Wind, Utah1997-08-1219MaleCampingDirect

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Utah in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, August 1997

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: 5623780, 5623781, 5623782, 5623783, 5623784.