Heavy Snow in Utah, March 14 to 15, 2006

Name: Heavy Snow in Utah, March 14 to 15, 2006
Start: 2006-03-14T21:00
End: 2006-03-15T09:00
Location: Utah

March 14 to 15, 2006 · NWS SLC · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

ANOTHER COMMUTER SPECIAL HIT DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT. SNOW WAS PARTICULARLY HEAVY IN SOUTHERN DAVIS AND EASTERN SALT LAKE COUNTY WHERE LAKE ENHANCED SNOW BANDS LINGERED.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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.

ANOTHER COMMUTER SPECIAL HIT DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT. SNOW WAS PARTICULARLY HEAVY IN SOUTHERN DAVIS AND EASTERN SALT LAKE COUNTY WHERE LAKE ENHANCED SNOW BANDS LINGERED. SNOWFALL RATES OF 4 TO 5 INCHES PER HOUR WERE REPORTED IN SOUTHERN DAVIS COUNTY DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM. I-80 WAS CLOSED IN PARLEYS CANYON DUE TO SLICK ROADS AND A SEMI TRAILER TRUCK ACCIDENT WHICH BLOCKED SEVERAL LANES. I-215 WAS CLOSED NEAR THE MERGE TO I-15 NORTHBOUND AFTER A SEMI TRAILER TRUCK OVERTURNED. MORE THAN 75 ACCIDENTS AND SLIDE-OFFS WERE REPORTED IN SALT LAKE COUNTY ALONE. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WERE (INCHES).. SPRUCES 22 SNOWBIRD 20 MONTE CRISTO 17 ALTA LIFTS 16 BOUNTIFUL BENCH 15 OQUIRRH MTS 15 ALTA UDOT 15 THE CANYONS 15 BRIGHTON 14 PARLEYS SUMMIT 14 TONY GROVE LAKE 14 CENTERVILLE 13 PARK CITY MTN 13 SOLITUDE 12 BOUNTIFUL 11 UPPER MILLCREEK 11 U OF U 11 LAYTON BENCH 9 KIMBALL JCT 9 FARMINGTON CYN 9 SPANISH FORK 8 EAST LAYTON 8 LOGAN BENCH 8 BEN LOMOND PEAK 8 SOUTH OGDEN 7 KAYSVILLE 7 SMITHFIELD 7 LAYTON 6 LOGAN USU 6 FARMINGTON 5 CLEARFIELD 5 SLC AVENUES 5 SLC DOWNTOWN 5 SLC AIRPORT 5 LOGAN 5 JEREMY RANCH 5 MANTUA 5 SNOWBASIN 5 TIMP DIVIDE 5 FILLMORE 5 OGDEN BENCH 4 SANDY 4 ROY 4 COTTONWOOD HTS 4 PARK CITY 4 SUNDANCE 4 TOOELE 3 SPRINGVILLE 3 PROVO 3 BRIGHAM CITY 3 KAMAS 3 SUNCREST DRAPER 2 MIDVALE 2 COALVILLE 2

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Salt Lake City, UT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 14, 8:35 PM MST, 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 8:35 PM MST, 25 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
835 PM MST TUE MAR 14 2006

AMENDED HEADLINES

.SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS UTAH LATER TONIGHT
THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER COLD AND WET STORM IS EXPECTED THIS
WEEKEND AND WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE REGION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...PREFRONTAL WINDS CONTINUE TO BLOW IN THE WESTERN
DESERTS AND TOOELE VALLEY. WINDS HAVE GUSTED INTO THE 40S THESE
AREAS AND IN THE 50S MPH ACROSS THE WASATCH RANGE. SURFACE COLD
FRONT IS THROUGH WENDOVER THIS PAST HOUR AND JUST EAST OF I-80
DUGWAY SENSOR...AND EXTENDS NORTHEAST TO JUST WEST OF LOGAN. AIR
MASS BEGINNING TO MOISTURE FROM TOP-DOWN OVER NORTHERN UTAH WITH
RADAR COVERAGE INCREASING ACROSS NORTHWEST UTAH AS UPPER DIVERGENCE
AND LEADING VORT MAX RIDE THROUGH THIS REGION. WELL DEFINED 700 MB
BAROCLINIC ZONE IS OBSERVED OVER NORTHEAST NEVADA AND PRODUCING
SNOWFALL. SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WASATCH FRONT
BETWEEN 05 AND 08Z...CROSSING SLC NEAR MIDNIGHT. JUST BEHIND THIS
THE BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL FOLLOW AND BRING A SWATH OF HEAVY SNOWFALL.
UPPER TROUGH AXIS AND PVA MAX IS OVER THE GREAT SALT LAKE AT ABOUT 5
AM AND REACHES THE WASATCH RANGE BY 8 AM. THIS PERIOD OF DEEP LIFT
WORKS ON THE 0.35 PRECIPITABLE WATER IN PLACE COMBINED WITH DEEP
LAYER INSTABILITY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
AREA OF LIFT FROM MIDNIGHT TO 8 AM WHILE 700 MB TEMPERATURES CRASH
TO -8C AT 2 AM WITH -10C AT 5 AM AND -12C BY 8 AM FOR WASATCH FRONT.
SALT LAKE COUNTY HEAVY SNOW LIKELY 3 AM TO 6 AM TIME FRAME.

BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL HOLD TOGETHER TO PRODUCE A BAND OF HEAVY SNOW
ALONG THE I-15 CORRIDOR FROM FILLMORE INTO THE SANPETE VALLEY. COLD
POCKET AT 500 MB OF -31C RIDES ACROSS THE GSL AT 8 AM WEDNESDAY BUT
IT EXITS QUICKLY TO THE EAST WITH RAPID DRYING AND STABILIZATION IN
THE AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST FLOW IN THE MORNING BACKS TO SOUTHWEST BY
AFTERNOON. MOST PRECIPITATION WILL END QUICKLY WITH ONLY LINGERING
LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS BY MIDDAY.

CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS LOOK GOOD BUT WILL UPDATE TO INCREASE CHANCES AND
ADD ACCUMULATIONS FOR I-15 CORRIDOR TO FILLMORE AND BEAVER AREA AND
FOR THE SANPETE VALLEY. DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND DEPARTING DYNAMICS WILL
NOT ALLOW MUCH TO SPILL EAST OF THE WASATCH PLATEAU IN THE EASTERN
VALLEYS. DURATION IS A LIMITING FACTOR BUT THE NORTHERN WASATCH
FRONT AND RANGE ZONES 2 AND 7 WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR AN UPGRADE
WHERE LOCAL WARNING CRITERIA COULD BE MET. NORTHERN WASATCH VALLEYS
SHOULD DUE WELL...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF I-80. THIS AREA WILL HAVE A
LITTLE MORE PREFRONTAL SNOW WHEN IT IS COLD ENOUGH TO SNOW AND WILL
HAVE A DIRECT HIT FROM THE DYNAMICS AND COLD POOL. WIND EXTEND WIND
ADVISORY A FEW HOURS FOR PREFRONTAL IN TOOELE VALLEY AND DUGWAY AND
FOR POST FRONTAL ACROSS THE NORTHWEST DESERTS.

WARM AIR ADVECTION TAKES OVER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AIR MASS MOISTENS ON
THURSDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AS
AIR MASS MOISTENS AND DESTABILIZES WITH LIFT IN SOUTHWEST FLOW.
INITIAL WAVE COULD BRING A 700 MB CIRCULATION INTO NORTHWEST UTAH BY
FRIDAY NIGHT...BEFORE MOST OF THE ENERGY PULLS SOUTH INTO SOUTHERN
UTAH. UPPER TROUGH DIGS ACROSS LAKE TAHOE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AND
THIS GRADUALLY SHIFTS EAST INTO THE GREAT BASIN FOR AN UNSETTLED AND
COOL PATTERN INTO THE WEEKEND. SNOW LEVELS WOULD BE VERY LOW BUT
PROBABLY NOT AS LOW AS THE RECENT EVENTS...UNLESS THE CENTER OF THE
LOW TRACKS A BIT FURTHER NORTH. THE CLOSED LOW SCENERIO WOULD STILL
SEND VORT LOBES NORTHWARD INTO THE UINTA MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN
WASATCH ON SUNDAY FOR WAVES OF SNOWFALL...FAVORED ON SOUTH FACING
SLOPES. 12Z GFS...UKMET AND ECMWF ALL DIG THE MAIN UPPER LOW ACROSS
LAS VEGAS AND CLOSE IT OFF THIS WEEKEND. THIS WOULD BRING THE
HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION AND SNOWFALL ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH...WARNING
TYPE FOR AT LEAST THE MOUNTAINS. VARIOUS SOLUTIONS NEXT WEEK WITH AN
UPPER RIDGE OR LINGERING UPSTREAM ENERGY CARVING ACROSS NORTHERN
UTAH OR HANGING NEAR THE 4-CORNERS...POSSIBLE PATTERN CHANGE.

&&

.AVIATION...COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH NW UTAH AT 03Z. FRONT SHOULD
MOVE THROUGH KSLC AROUND 06Z BRINGING A SHIFT TO NORTHWEST WINDS.
AREAS OF SNOW WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT AHEAD OF
THE COLD FRONT WITH SNOW SPREADING INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
WASATCH FRONT ALONG AND BEHIND THE BOUNDARY. ANTICIPATE WIDESPREAD
MVFR CEILINGS AND IFR VISIBILITIES BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z. ALSO
ANTICIPATE LOCALIZED IFR CEILINGS DURING THIS TIME. CEILINGS AND
VISIBILITIES SHOULD IMPROVE AFTER 15Z.

&&

.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM TUESDAY FOR UTZ003-UTZ005.
     HEAVY SNOW WARNING UTZ002 1 AM THROUGH 9 AM WEDNESDAY
     WINTER STORM WARNING UTZ006-007 THROUGH 9 AM WEDNESDAY
     SNOW ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TO NOON WEDNESDAY
     FOR UTZ001-UTZ003-UTZ004.
     SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY FOR
     UTZ008-UTZ009.

WY...NONE.
&&

PUBLIC...TARDY
AVIATION...GRAHAM

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 14, 11:59 AM MST, 9 hours 1 minute before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
1159 AM MST TUE MAR 14 2006

UTZ001>011-015-WYZ021-151400-
CACHE VALLEY/UTAH PORTION-GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT AND MOUNTAINS-
NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT-SALT LAKE AND TOOELE VALLEYS-SOUTHERN WASATCH
FRONT-SOUTHWEST WYOMING-WASATCH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS-WASATCH MOUNTAINS I-
80 NORTH-WASATCH MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF I-80-WASATCH PLATEAU/BOOK CLIFFS-
WEST CENTRAL UTAH-WESTERN UINTA BASIN-WESTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-
1159 AM MST TUE MAR 14 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NORTHERN UTAH AND EXTREME
SOUTHWEST WYOMING.

.DAY ONE... TODAY AND TONIGHT

A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO NEVADA LATE TODAY. SHOWERS
WELL AHEAD OF THE STORM WILL SPREAD INTO THE HIGH COUNTRY OF
NORTHERN UTAH LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  HEAVY SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
MOUNTAINS AND FAR NORTHERN VALLEYS OVERNIGHT. A SNOW ADVISORY HAS
BEEN ISSUED FOR THE WASATCH RANGE FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL ALSO OCCUR ACROSS
NORTHWEST UTAH TODAY AND THIS EVENING. SEE THE LATEST WEATHER
ADVISORY FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE TUESDAY STORM WILL EXIT NORTHERN UTAH EARLY ON WEDNESDAY. THE
SNOW ADVISORY WILL EXTEND THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING. ANOTHER
PACIFIC STORM WILL ARRIVE OVER THE GREAT BASIN THIS WEEKEND. THIS
STORM WILL BE ON THE COLD SIDE...WITH WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

UTZ012>014-016>021-151400-
CASTLE COUNTRY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS-GLEN CANYON RECREATION
AREA/LAKE POWELL-HENRY MOUNTAINS-SAN RAFAEL SWELL-SANPETE/SEVIER
VALLEYS-SOUTH CENTRAL UTAH-SOUTHWEST UTAH-UTAHS DIXIE AND ZION
NATIONAL PARK-
645 AM MST TUE MAR 14 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN UTAH.

.DAY ONE... TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

A COLD PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL SETTLE OVER THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN
THIS WEEKEND. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT HIGHER VALLEYS OVER THE WEEKEND.

Event by event

5 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Ne Box Elder T X Ne/W Weber/Davis

When: March 14, 9:00 PM MST to March 15, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Ne Box Elder T X Ne/W Weber/Davis forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

15" in 12h along the Bountiful Bench

Heavy Snow, P Nc Weber/P C Morgan/P W C Summit/P Sc Wasatch

When: March 14, 9:00 PM MST to March 15, 9:00 AM MST
Where: P Nc Weber/P C Morgan/P W C Summit/P Sc Wasatch forecast zone
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)

12" in 12h in Kimball Jct. near Park City

Heavy Snow, Rich/Cache T Nw/P E C Weber/Most of Morgan/Nw Summit/Ne Salt Lake/X Ne Box Elder

When: March 14, 9:00 PM MST to March 15, 9:00 AM MST
Where: Rich/Cache T Nw/P E C Weber/Most of Morgan/Nw Summit/Ne Salt Lake/X Ne Box Elder forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

12" in 12h at Parrish Creek SNOTEL

Heavy Snow, W Salt Lake T X W/E Toole T X E

When: March 14, 9:00 PM MST to March 15, 9:00 AM MST
Where: W Salt Lake T X W/E Toole T X E forecast zone
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)

10" in 12h in Upper Millcreek

Heavy Snow, W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete

When: March 14, 9:00 PM MST to March 15, 9:00 AM MST
Where: W Summit T Nw/Se Salt Lake/Wasatch X Sc/E Utah/P X E Juab/X Nw San Pete forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

15" in 12h at Alta/Collins

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

Every storm in Utah in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Utah, March 2006

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: 5493372, 5493373, 5493374, 5493375, 5493376.