A strong cold front moved into Utah on December 2nd, bringing gusty winds to northwestern Utah.
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.
The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
A strong cold front moved into Utah on December 2nd, bringing gusty winds to northwestern Utah.
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 Dec 2, 4:12 PM MST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 412 PM MST TUE DEC 2 2008 .SYNOPSIS...A PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA TONIGHT. ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. WARM DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. && .DISCUSSION...THE UPPER TROF AXIS IS CROSSING NORTHERN UTAH WITH A COOL FAST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW UPSTREAM. THE COLD FRONT IS PUSHING INTO SOUTHERN AND EASTERN UTAH AND WILL MOVE OUT OF THE STATE BY 03Z. GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT ARE QUITE STRONG FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE FRONT PASSES THEN THEY DIMINISH BUT REMAIN BREEZY. WINDS HAVE STAYED UP ACROSS THE NORTHWEST DESERTS AND IN NORTHERN UTAH COUNTY WHERE A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM. WINDS COULD REACH MARGINAL ADVISORY LEVELS FOR A TIME IN SOME OF THE EASTERN BASINS TOO. THE GRADIENT RELAXES OVERNIGHT AND WINDS WILL DROP OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. PRECIP WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE LIMITED TO MAINLY THE NORTHERN MTS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE NORTHWEST VALLEYS SOUTH TO ABOUT JUAB COUNTY. DONT EXPECT ENOUGH SNOW IN THE MTS TO WARRANT ANY HIGHLIGHTS. THE COOL NORTHWEST FLOW KEEPS SOME MOISTURE OVER THE TERRAIN OF FAR NRN/NERN UT AND SWRN WY THRU TOMORROW. DONT EXPECT ANY REAL PRECIP FROM THIS BUT LEFT A LOW CHANCE POP IN THE GRIDS TO COVER THE SMALL THREAT. THE THURSDAY SYSTEM COULD GENERATE A LITTLE SNOW OVER THE FORECAST AREA NORTH AND EAST OF ABOUT SLC BUT IT IS SPLITTING TOO MUCH AS IT COMES SOUTH TO PRODUCE ANYTHING SOUTH OF THAT. WARM RIDGING IS EXPECTED FRI AND SAT WITH ALL MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THRU SAT. THE GFS AND EC DIVERGE AFTER THAT WITH THE EC MUCH MORE ACTIVE FOR OUR CWA. PREFER THE EC SOLUTION AS IT HAS BEEN A BETTER PERFORMER OF LATE AND HAS BEEN GENERALLY MORE CONSISTENT ON THE MON SYSTEM THAN THE GFS. SO HAVE NUDGED THE GRIDS TOWARDS ITS IDEAS BUT NOT MUCH AS CONFIDENCE IS STILL QUITE LOW FOR SUN AND BEYOND. && .AVIATION...BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING AT THE KSLC TERMINAL. CEILINGS BELOW 7000FT AGL WILL BE LIKELY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS SHOWERS CONTINUE TO LINGER IN THE AREA. SOUTHEASTERLY DRAINAGE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BETWEEN 08Z AND 11Z...WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE THAT WINDS WILL STAY LIGHT NORTHERLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE NIGHT. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM TUESDAY FOR UTZ004-UTZ005. WY...NONE. && WILENSKY/MYRICK/KRUSE/SCHOENING FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 510 PM MST TUE DEC 2 2008 UTZ001>011-014-015-517-WYZ021-031300- CACHE VALLEY/UTAH PORTION-NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT- SALT LAKE AND TOOELE VALLEYS-SOUTHERN WASATCH FRONT- GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT AND MOUNTAINS-WASATCH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS- WASATCH MOUNTAINS I-80 NORTH-WASATCH MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF I-80- WESTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-WASATCH PLATEAU/BOOK CLIFFS- WESTERN UINTA BASIN-SANPETE/SEVIER VALLEYS-WEST CENTRAL UTAH- CENTRAL MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST WYOMING- 510 PM MST TUE DEC 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL UTAH... NORTHERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HAS LEFT STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS AND LIGHT PRECIPITATION IN ITS WAKE. THE STRONGEST WINDS REMAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST DESERTS AND AND SOUTHERN WASATCH FRONT...WHERE A WIND ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL EARLY THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS EVENING WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES SPREADING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER WEAK STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT NORTHERN UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SIGNIFICANT STORM ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN UTAHS NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. AFTER A QUIET START TO THE WEEKEND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE STATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. UTZ012-013-016-019>021-518-031300- CASTLE COUNTRY-SAN RAFAEL SWELL-SOUTHWEST UTAH- UTAHS DIXIE AND ZION NATIONAL PARK-SOUTH CENTRAL UTAH- GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA/LAKE POWELL-SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS- 510 PM MST TUE DEC 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL UTAH AND SOUTHERN UTAH. .DAY ONE...LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL EXITING THE AREA OVERNIGHT. THE BIGGEST IMPACT WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER WEAK STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE STATE ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A SIGNIFICANT STORM IT MAY BRING THE CHANCE OF SNOW TO UTAHS SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS. AFTER A QUIET START TO THE WEEKEND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE STATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
152 PM MST TUE DEC 02 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0110 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 18 W DUGWAY 40.24N 113.09W
12/02/2008 M63 MPH TOOELE UT MESONET
0100 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 10 S LAKESIDE 41.06N 112.89W
12/02/2008 M62 MPH BOX ELDER UT MESONET
0100 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 29 NE CALLAO 40.21N 113.34W
12/02/2008 M58 MPH TOOELE UT MESONET
1240 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 ENE WENDOVER 40.75N 113.99W
12/02/2008 M60 MPH TOOELE UT MESONET
&&
KRUSEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
700 PM MST TUE DEC 02 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0150 PM NON-TSTM WND GST BLUFFDALE 40.45N 111.91W
12/02/2008 M59 MPH SALT LAKE UT MESONET
I-15 AT ALPINE - 4750 FT
0110 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DUGWAY 40.24N 113.09W
12/02/2008 M63 MPH TOOELE UT MESONET
PLAYA STATION - 4280 FT
0100 PM NON-TSTM WND GST GOLD HILL 40.21N 113.34W
12/02/2008 M58 MPH TOOELE UT MESONET
V-GRID - 4226 FT
0100 PM NON-TSTM WND GST TRESEND 41.06N 112.89W
12/02/2008 M62 MPH BOX ELDER UT MESONET
LAKESIDE MOUNTAIN - 5039 FT
1240 PM NON-TSTM WND GST BLAIR 40.75N 113.99W
12/02/2008 M60 MPH TOOELE UT MESONET
WENDOVER PORT OF ENTRY - 4227 FT
1215 PM NON-TSTM WND GST SNOWBASIN 41.20N 111.88W
12/02/2008 M60 MPH WEBER UT MESONET
OGDEN PEAK - 9570 FT
&&2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several automated sites in the west deserts of Utah recorded strong wind gusts, including a 63 mph gust at the Playa Station sensor in the Dugway mesonet.
The I-15 sensor at Alpine recorded a maximum wind gust of 59 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, December 2008
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: 147012, 147011.