Utah, 1997

Heavy Snow in Utah, March 2 to 4, 1997

March 2 to 4, 1997 · NWS SLC · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved through the state dumping criteria snowfall across northern Utah. Snow occurred in the south but remained below warning criteria.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
30
Property damage
$500,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 cold front moved through the state dumping criteria snowfall across northern Utah. Snow occurred in the south but remained below warning criteria. In northwest Utah behind the front, snow bands developed over the Great Salt Lake. 1-2' of snow generally fell in the mountains and 2-10" in the valleys. Alta had the most snowfall with 30". Magna had 11" for tops in the valleys. Numerous traffic accidents and several small avalanches occurred.

Event by event

8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Wasatch Front/Brigham City/Ogden Bountiful

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Northern Wasatch Front/Brigham City/Ogden Bountiful forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Salt Lake and Toole Valleys

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Salt Lake and Toole Valleys forecast zone
Injuries
30 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$500,000

Heavy Snow, Southern Wasatch Front/Lehi/Provo/Nephi

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Southern Wasatch Front/Lehi/Provo/Nephi forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Wasatch Mountain Valleys/Huntsville/Park City/Heber

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Wasatch Mountain Valleys/Huntsville/Park City/Heber forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Wasatch Mountains I80 North

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Wasatch Mountains I80 North forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Wasatch Mountains South of I80

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Wasatch Mountains South of I80 forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Western Unita Mountains

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Western Unita Mountains forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs

When
March 2, 10:00 AM MST to March 4, 10:00 PM MST
Where
Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs forecast zone

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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, March 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: 5602663, 5602664, 5602665, 5602666, 5602667, 5602668, 5602669, 5602670.