A potent storm system brought very strong wind and heavy snow to much of Utah. The cold front brought poor visibilities in snow and blowing snow to the Wasatch Front, resulting in numerous road closures and traffic accidents.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 potent storm system brought very strong wind and heavy snow to much of Utah. The cold front brought poor visibilities in snow and blowing snow to the Wasatch Front, resulting in numerous road closures and traffic accidents.
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 Jan 27, 9:55 AM MST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
955 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008
.SYNOPSIS...A COMPLEX PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT UTAH AND
THE SURROUNDING STATES THROUGH MONDAY. THIS ACTIVE PATTERN WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH MIDWEEK...AS ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE
REGION TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
&&
.DISCUSSION...THE UPPER LOW OFF THE CA COAST APPEARS TO BE IN THE
EARLY STAGES OF FILLING AND LIFTING NE AHEAD OF THE COLD UPPER
TROUGH OFF THE PACIFIC NW/BRITCOL COAST. SOLID MOISTURE PLUME
IN PLACE ACROSS SRN/WRN UTAH IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF THE MAIN
STORM. WIDESPREAD PRECIP EMBEDDED IN THIS PLUME WITH AREAS OF
MODERATE/HEAVY PRECIP CONFINED TO THE UPSLOPE REGIONS OF SW UTAH
THIS MORNING.
A RELATIVE DRY SLOT ACROSS NV WILL SHIFT EAST INTO WRN UTAH LATER
TODAY. COULD SEE A DECREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE OF PRECIP FOR A WHILE
THIS AFTERNOON...THEN AN INCREASE AGAIN OVERNIGHT AS THE REMNANT OF
THE COASTAL CA LOW LIFT THROUGH WRN UTAH.
THE HEART OF THE STORM WILL REACH WRN UTAH MONDAY AS THE COLD CORE
TROUGH OFF THE PACIFIC NW/BRITCOL COAST MOVES INTO THE WRN GREAT
BASIN EARLY MONDAY. THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT WILL REACH FAR NW
UTAH EARLY MONDAY...THEN SWEEP SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE STATE DURING
THE DAY. STRONG FRONTOGENETIC FORCING ALONG THIS BOUNDARY SUGGESTS AN
INTENSE PERIOD PRECIP ALONG AND FOLLOW THE FRONT. DEEP LAYER
INSTABILITY WILL ONLY INCREASE DURING THE DAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH
AND THE ASSOCIATED COLD AIR MOVE INTO THE STATE. STRONG OROGRAPHIC
LIFT SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...FOLLOWED BY RAPID
MID-LEVEL WARMING LATE MONDAY NIGHT. SHALLOW INSTABILITY WILL EXIST
LATE MONDAY NIGHT...WHICH WILL LIMIT ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATING SNOWS
IN THE NRN MOUNTAINS.
WIND ISSUES THROUGH EARLY MONDAY CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS AND
WRN VALLEYS. STRONG SW WINDS IN AND AROUND THE 700 MB LEVEL
COMBINED WITH THE STRONGEST PRESSURE FALLS ACROSS NV THROUGH WRN
UTAH SUPPORT HIGH WINDS. SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE DRY SLOT
COULD BUMP UP WINDS LATER TODAY OVER W/CNTRL AND NW UTAH.
THE LONG RANGE PATTERN LOOKS ACTIVE WELL INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK AS
A SERIES OF RATHER ENERGETIC PACIFIC TROUGHS PERIODICALLY MOVE
THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN THE NEXT ONE IS SCHEDULED TO REACH UTAH
TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SYSTEM LATE IN THE
WEEKEND.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...MOISTURE PLUME ACROSS SW UTAH WITH WIDESPREAD
LIGHT/MODERATE PRECIP NOTED IN RADAR/SURFACE OBS AT TIME. UPSTREAM
RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS A SOLID AREA OF PRECIP UPSTREAM FROM THE FLASH
FLOOD WATCH AREA. ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS JUST WHERE TO RAIN/SNOW LINE
EXISTS AND HOW MUCH CONTRIBUTION TO RUNOFF TO EXPECT FROM MID
ELEVATION PRECIP.
LATEST OBSERVATIONS ACROSS EXTREME SW UTAH SUGGEST A SNOW LEVEL
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6500 AND 7500 FEET. THIS IS A BIT LOWER THAN
EXPECTED. MODEL GUIDANCE HAS THE WARMEST NEAR 700 MB TEMPS JUST
ABOUT NOW...SO DOUBT THE SNOW LEVELS WILL GO MUCH HIGHER FROM HERE.
TERRAIN BELOW THE RAIN/SNOW LINE RATHER PRONE TO FLASH FLOODING IN
EITHER CONVECTIVE OR WIDESPREAD MODERATE/HEAVY RAIN EVENTS.
THEREFORE...WILL MAINTAIN THE CURRENT FLASH FLOOD WATCH WITH AN
EMPHASIS ON SLOT CANYONS AND NARROW CREEK CHANNELS. WILL PROBABLY
SHORTEN THE DURATION OF THE WATCH AS PRECIP SHOULD TAPER OFF FOR A
PERIOD THIS EVENING AND COLDER AIR ALOFT BEGINS TO WORK INTO SW
UTAH.
&&
.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT THE
SLC TERMINAL...BUT CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP A BIT OVER THE NEXT
FEW HOURS AS LIGHT RAIN DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA...BRIEFLY DIPPING
BELOW 6000 FT AGL AFTER 17Z. GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH GUSTS OVER 30KT EXPECTED.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MONDAY FOR UTZ006>010-517-518.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON SUNDAY TO 6 AM MONDAY FOR UTZ003.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO 6 PM MONDAY FOR
UTZ002>004.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON MONDAY FOR
UTZ005-015-016.
SNOW ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY FOR
UTZ001-011-012.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING FOR UTZ019-020.
WY...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM MONDAY FOR WYZ021.
&&
PUBLIC...CONGER
AVIATION...TRAPHAGAN
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 448 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-281200- 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-CASTLE COUNTRY-SAN RAFAEL SWELL- SANPETE/SEVIER VALLEYS-WEST CENTRAL UTAH-SOUTHWEST UTAH- UTAHS DIXIE AND ZION NATIONAL PARK-SOUTH CENTRAL UTAH- GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA/LAKE POWELL-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST WYOMING- 448 AM MST SUN JAN 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STORM SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING THIS MORNING WITH WIDESPREAD STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION... LASTING THROUGH TONIGHT. FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IN SOUTHERN UTAH. VARIOUS SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING MONDAY...FOLLOWED BY A COLD AND UNSTABLE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING AND LAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MORE COLD AND WET WEATHER IS LIKELY LATE IN THE WEEK AND OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE) GIBSON
The Cedar City radar (KICX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:13 UTC.
10 winter storm, 3 high wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple sensors in the area recorded wind gusts greater than 82 mph, including a maximum wind gust of 101 mph at Snowbasin Strawtop. Snowbasin also received 9 inches of snow.
Signal Peak RAWS recorded wind gusts up to 79 mph, while the Pine Creek SNOTEL received at least 12 inches of snow in 12 hours.
Several SNOTELs, including Cedar Breaks and Kolob, received more than 3.00 inches of snow water equivalent for the event.
Ahead of the cold front, strong pre-frontal winds impacted the Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys, including a gust of 66 mph at the South Mountain Tooele Mesonet sensor.
Ahead of the cold front, there were strong southerly winds in the west deserts. The strongest gust was measured at 70 mph at the V Grid sensor, part of the Dugway Mesonet.
Multiple sensors recorded wind gusts greater than 75 mph. In addition, Solitude received 33 inches of snow and Alta UDOT received 29 inches.
Brown Duck and Chalk Creek SNOTELs both received approximately 12 inches of snow in 12 hours on the 28th.
Daniels Strawberry SNOTEL received approximately 12 inches of snow in 12 hours on the 28th.
The St. George AWOS recorded a 74 mph wind gust associated with a thunderstorm.
Near white-out conditions with 40 mph winds were experienced on I-15, making travel nearly impossible.
Near white-out conditions were experienced on roads in the Salt Lake Valley, including Interstates 15 and 80. At the peak of the storm, Salt Lake City ASOS recorded 1/8 mile visibility and 45 mph wind gusts. Interstate 80 east of Salt Lake City was closed for approximately 5 hours. A 34-year-old woman was killed in a one-car accident near Grantsville; slick conditions caused the woman's vehicle to roll into a wash where she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Heavy snow and wind gusts up to 50 mph highly impacted travel. Interstate 15 near Payson was closed in both directions by a large chain-reaction pileup accident which stretched for 3 miles and involved 40 vehicles including 20 semi-trucks. Twenty-seven people were transported to local hospitals. With Salt Lake and Utah counties combined, troopers responded to a total of 200 traffic accidents from this event.
Near white-out conditions highly impacted travel in the mountain valleys.
The Brimstone Reservoir RAWS recorded a maximum wind gust of 58 mph.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Storm, Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys | 2008-01-28 | 34 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
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, January 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: 76947, 76957, 76959, 76961, 76962, 76949, 76952, 76955, 76964, 76934, 76935, 76936, 76941, 76963.