Blizzard, Northern Wasatch Front/Brigham City/Ogden Bountiful
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Northern Wasatch Front/Brigham City/Ogden Bountiful forecast zone
- Measured
- 67
Blizzard in Utah, January 11 to 14, 1997
A historic winter storm brought death and destruction to Utah during this 3 day period in January. Initially a moist westerly flow was in place over the state.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 3
- Injuries
- 50
- Property damage
- $40 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 20
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 historic winter storm brought death and destruction to Utah during this 3 day period in January. Initially a moist westerly flow was in place over the state. Then a strong arctic front blew through on the 12th creating blizzard conditions. High northeast- east winds were reported along and behind the arctic front. Peak gusts occurred on the Bountiful Bench at 77 mph and East Millcreek Canyon at 66 mph. Deadly wind chill temperatures of 40-50 below zero developed across northern Utah. Some snow fell just about everywhere in the state. From 1-4 feet of snow fell in the mountains and 2-18 inches in the valleys. The highest storm total of 54 inches was reported at the Skyline Mine (at about 9,000 feet) in northwest Carbon county. Several avalances occurred during this storm. One near Logan Peak in Cache county killed 3 men. Avalanches also damaged vehicles and closed roads stranding vacationers at the various ski resorts. The high winds downed power lines and large trees. There was numerous reports of waterlines and pipes bursting causing extensive water damage throughout the state. Hundreds of flights were cancelled to and from the Salt Lake International Airport. This was indeed the Blizzard of '97.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
20 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Salt Lake and Toole Valleys
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Salt Lake and Toole Valleys forecast zone
- Measured
- 57
- Injuries
- 50 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $40 million
Blizzard, Southern Wasatch Front/Lehi/Provo/Nephi
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southern Wasatch Front/Lehi/Provo/Nephi forecast zone
Blizzard, Wasatch Mountains I80 North
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Wasatch Mountains I80 North forecast zone
- Deaths
- 3 direct, 0 indirect
Blizzard, Wasatch Mountains South of I80
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Wasatch Mountains South of I80 forecast zone
Blizzard, Western Unita Mountains
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Western Unita Mountains forecast zone
Blizzard, Wasatch Mountain Valleys/Huntsville/Park City/Heber
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Wasatch Mountain Valleys/Huntsville/Park City/Heber forecast zone
Blizzard, Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs forecast zone
Blizzard, Western Unita Basin
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Western Unita Basin forecast zone
Blizzard, Castle Country/Price/Castle/Dale/Emery
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Castle Country/Price/Castle/Dale/Emery forecast zone
Blizzard, San Rafael Swell/Greene River/Hanksville
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- San Rafael Swell/Greene River/Hanksville forecast zone
Blizzard, Sanpete/Sevier Valleys
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Sanpete/Sevier Valleys forecast zone
Blizzard, West Central Utah/Delta
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- West Central Utah/Delta forecast zone
Blizzard, Southwest Utah/Cedar City/Milford
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southwest Utah/Cedar City/Milford forecast zone
Blizzard, Central and Southwest Mountains
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Central and Southwest Mountains forecast zone
Blizzard, Southeast Mountains/Canyonlands
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Southeast Mountains/Canyonlands forecast zone
Blizzard, South Central Utah/Kanab/Escalante
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- South Central Utah/Kanab/Escalante forecast zone
Blizzard, Glen Canyon Recreation Area/Lake Powell
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Glen Canyon Recreation Area/Lake Powell forecast zone
Blizzard, Eastern Uinta Mountains
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Eastern Uinta Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.506, -109.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Tavaputs Plateau
- When
- January 11, 2:00 AM MST to January 14, 2:00 PM MST
- Where
- Tavaputs Plateau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.554, -109.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blizzard, Wasatch Mountains I80 North | 1997-01-12 | 29 | Male | Other | Direct |
| Blizzard, Wasatch Mountains I80 North | 1997-01-12 | 36 | Male | Other | Direct |
| Blizzard, Wasatch Mountains I80 North | 1997-01-12 | 38 | Male | Other | Direct |
What these are
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Avalanche in Washington, January 11, 1997
- Winter Storm in New Mexico, January 11 to 14, 1997
- Cold in New Mexico, January 11, 1997
- Cold in North Carolina, January 11, 1997
- Winter Storm in Texas, January 11 to 14, 1997
- Winter Weather in Oklahoma, January 11 to 12, 1997
- Winter Weather in New Jersey, January 11, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 11 to 14, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Texas, January 11 to 12, 1997
- Cold in Colorado, January 11 to 12, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, January 11, 1997
- Cold in Nebraska, January 11 to 12, 1997
More
Every storm in Utah in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, January 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: 5599741, 5599742, 5599743, 5599744, 5599745, 5599746, 5599747, 5599748, 5599749, 5599750, 5599751, 5599752, 5599753, 5599754, 5599755, 5599756, 5599757, 5599758, 5599759, 5599760.