Flash Flood and Winter Storm in Utah, January 4 to 7, 2008

Name: Flash Flood and Winter Storm in Utah, January 4 to 7, 2008
Start: 2008-01-04T17:00
End: 2008-01-07T06:00
Location: Utah

January 4 to 7, 2008 · NWS SLC · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 couple of fronts in quick succession brought snow to much of Utah. The first cold front arrived in northern Utah late on the 4th and brought widespread snow to northern Utah and heavy rain and mountain snow to southwest Utah on the 5th. Another cold front brought snow to the entire region on the 6th, continuing in southern Utah into the 7th.

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 Jan 4, 4:31 PM MST, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 4:31 PM MST, 29 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
431 PM MST FRI JAN 4 2008

.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT
AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...STRONG BUT EJECTING PACIFIC TROUGH ON OUR DOORSTEP
THIS AFTERNOON. WELL ADVERTISED STRONG WINDS NOW ARRIVING AND WILL
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT UNTIL FROPA. STILL EXPECT FROPA AT SLC AROUND 7
AM.

NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE MODELS TODAY WITH ALL SHOWING
MULTIPLE PARTS TO THIS LARGE STORM. PART ONE IS THE PREFRONTAL
HIGH WINDS THROUGH FROPA WITH INTENSE SNOWFALL FOR 2 TO 4 HOURS
AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE.

PART TWO IS A BREAK IN THE PRECIP OVER THE NORTH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SUNDAY AS THE FRONT STALLS OVER SOUTHERN UTAH WHERE
PRECIP WILL INTENSIFY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE SATURDAY
NIGHT.

PART THREE IS A BIT TOUGHER WITH SOME MODEL VARIABILITY. ANOTHER
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INTO THE GREAT BASIN SUNDAY AND DEVELOPS
ANOTHER SURFACE WAVE/FRONT SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WAVE RESULTS IN
BACKING FLOW ALOFT OVER THE ENTIRE AREA AT 700 MB ALTHOUGH NOT
CLEAR THAT SURFACE WINDS WILL SHIFT BACK TO THE SOUTH. 12Z GFS
DEVELOPED THE SURFACE WAVE ALONG THE STALLED FRONT AND BROUGHT
HEAVIEST SUNDAY PRECIP TO SOUTHERN UTAH...WHILE 18Z GFS BRINGS
BRINGS THE SURFACE TROUGH FROM N. NV THROUGH N. UTAH AS ANOTHER
COLD FRONT MID DAY SUNDAY WITH PRECIP MORE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED
STATEWIDE. 12 HOUR TIME RESOLUTION OF EC DATA MAKES IT DIFFICULT
TO DETERMINE EVOLUTION IN EC...BUT PRECIP FIELD IS QUITE BROAD
OVER ENTIRE AREA...MORE LIKE 18Z GFS. SO SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE
AMOUNT OF SNOW WE WILL SEE OVER THE VALLEYS ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.

PART FOUR IS COLD POST FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY
AS COLD ADVECTION AT 500 MB CONTINUES UNTIL MONDAY AFTERNOON. THIS
SHOULD BE PRIMARILY A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT OROGRAPHIC SNOW...AND
MAINLY IN AREAS FAVORED BY WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW.

BACK TO PART ONE...FROPA SATURDAY MORNING ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE VERY INTENSE WITH NEAR BLIZZARD LIKE
CONDITIONS FOR A FEW HOURS IN THE URBAN CORRIDOR. SEE THE WSW FOR
MORE DETAIL ON SNOWFALL AMOUNTS.

THE REST OF THE WEEK LOOKS INTERESTING WITH MORE STORMS...BUT GFS
AND EC ARE NOT IN PHASE ON THE TIMING OF EACH TROUGH SO HAVE NOT
PUT MUCH DETAIL IN THE FORECAST BEYOND TUESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT THE KSLC
TERMINAL THROUGHOUT THE EVENING AND INTO THE NIGHT...WITH GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 50KTS POSSIBLE AFTER 02Z. SOUTHERLY WINDS AT 2000 FT AGL ARE
CURRENTLY NEAR 35KT AND WILL INCREASE TO OVER 50 KTS OVER THE NEXT
FEW HOURS. CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BELOW 7000 FT AGL BETWEEN
07-09Z TONIGHT.

THE COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY MOVE THROUGH THE TERMINAL BETWEEN 13-15Z
TOMORROW. CONDITIONS WILL QUICKLY DETEORIATE AT THIS TIME AS HEAVY
SNOW MOVES INTO THE AREA ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT. IFR TO LIFR
CONDITIONS WILL BE LIKELY WITH THIS PRECIPITATION THROUGH 20-22Z.

&&

.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ007-UTZ008-
     UTZ517-UTZ518.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR
     UTZ007-UTZ008-UTZ009-UTZ010-UTZ517-UTZ518.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 5 AM SATURDAY FOR UTZ003.

     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 6 PM SATURDAY FOR
     UTZ001-UTZ002-UTZ003-UTZ004-UTZ006.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM SATURDAY FOR UTZ002-UTZ004-UTZ006.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 AM SATURDAY FOR UTZ005-UTZ015-UTZ016.

     SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM
     SATURDAY FOR UTZ005.

     SNOW ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SATURDAY FOR UTZ011-
     UTZ012.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM SATURDAY FOR UTZ014.

WY...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM SATURDAY TO 6 PM SATURDAY FOR
     WYZ021.

&&

PUBLIC...DUNN
AVIATION...C. SMITH

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 4, 3:25 PM MST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
325 PM MST FRI JAN 4 2008

UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-051330-
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-
325 PM MST FRI JAN 4 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF
UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND
WESTERN VALLEYS OF UTAH THROUGH TONIGHT. THESE WINDS ARE AHEAD OF A
STRONG COLD FRONT WHICH WILL REACH EXTREME NORTHWEST UTAH LATE
TONIGHT. MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS WILL SEE WIND GUSTS WELL ABOVE 70 MPH ON
THE EXPOSED RIDGES THROUGH TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO EFFECT
THE WESTERN VALLEYS THROUGH TONIGHT. NUMEROUS HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND
WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND WESTERN VALLEYS.

PRECIPITATION WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES.
WINTER STORM WARNINGS WILL BEGIN IN THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AS HEAVY
SNOW DEVELOPS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT MUCH OF UTAH ON SATURDAY. HEAVY
SNOWS ARE EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS AND MANY VALLEY AREAS. NUMEROUS
WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR SATURDAY.

THE MAIN PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE THROUGH UTAH SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE STATE...WITH MUCH COLDER
TEMPERATURES EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE NEXT PACIFIC STORM WILL AFFECT
MAINLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE LATE TUESDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. A SUBSEQUENT COLD PACIFIC STORM MAY FOLLOW FOR LATE IN
THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)

GIBSON

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 4, 4:20 PM MST, 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
420 PM MST FRI JAN 04 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0200 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SE SNOWBIRD           40.57N 111.64W
01/04/2008  M86 MPH          SALT LAKE          UT   MESONET

0245 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SW PARK CITY          40.61N 111.54W
01/04/2008  M79 MPH          SUMMIT             UT   MESONET

0215 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 E OGDEN               41.20N 111.88W
01/04/2008  M71 MPH          WEBER              UT   MESONET

0245 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W SUNDANCE            40.37N 111.59W
01/04/2008  M68 MPH          UTAH               UT   MESONET

0300 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 3 SW PARK CITY          40.61N 111.53W
01/04/2008  M66 MPH          SUMMIT             UT   MESONET

0200 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SW ALTA               40.56N 111.64W
01/04/2008  M64 MPH          UTAH               UT   MESONET

0300 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE SNOWBIRD           40.57N 111.63W
01/04/2008  M68 MPH          SALT LAKE          UT   MESONET

0255 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 16 NW DUGWAY            40.37N 113.00W
01/04/2008  M62 MPH          TOOELE             UT   MESONET

0412 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG SNOWBIRD                40.57N 111.65W
01/04/2008                   SALT LAKE          UT   PUBLIC

            18 INCH DIAMETER TREE FELLED BY WIND GUST NEAR 9000 FEET.

&&

GIBSON

The radar

The Cedar City radar (KICX), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 winter storm, 4 heavy snow, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Southern Mountains

When: January 4, 5:00 PM MST to January 7, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Southern Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

The Kolob and Midway Valley SNOTELs both received over 4 inches of snow-water equivalent for the event.

Winter Storm, Wasatch Mountains I-80 North

When: January 4, 5:00 PM MST to January 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where: Wasatch Mountains I-80 North forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

The Monte Cristo SNOTEL received about 3 inches storm total snow-water equivalent. Also, multiple sensors in the area received maximum wind gusts of 83 mph or greater.

Winter Storm, Wasatch Mountains South of I-80

When: January 4, 5:00 PM MST to January 6, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Wasatch Mountains South of I-80 forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Brighton Crest received the most snow in this area, with 38 inches for the storm total. In addition, Alta received 30 inches of snow for the 3 day period. Multiple sensors in this area also had maximum wind gusts greater than 80 mph.

Heavy Snow, Western Uinta Basin

When: January 4, 11:00 PM MST to January 7, 2:00 AM MST
Where: Western Uinta Basin forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Altamont received 11 inches of snow, including 6 inches during a 12 hour period on January 6th.

Winter Storm, Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs

When: January 5, 12:00 AM MST to January 6, 1:00 PM MST
Where: Wasatch Plateau/Book Cliffs forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

The Daniels Strawberry SNOTEL indicated 12 inches of snow in 10 hours on January 5th, and received a storm total of 2.50 inches snow water equivalent.

Winter Storm, Western Uinta Mountains

When: January 5, 3:00 AM MST to January 6, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Western Uinta Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Multiple SNOTELs indicated 12 or more inches of snow in 12 hours, including Lakefork #1. The greatest snow water equivalent in the area was received by the Chalk Creek 1 SNOTEL, with 2.40 inches for the storm total.

Flash Flood, Washington

When: January 5, 8:00 AM MST to 8:00 PM MST
Where: Washington County, 4.31 mi ENE of Pintura to 9.67 mi E of Hurricane Arpt
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 37.368, -113.195

The Virgin River went from 137 cfs to 2591 cfs from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.. Zion National Park Rangers reported flooding of the Virgin River and its tributaries through much of the day.

Winter Storm, Southern Wasatch Front

When: January 5, 11:00 AM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where: Southern Wasatch Front forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Springville received 7 inches of snow in 6 hours.

Winter Storm, Central Mountains

When: January 5, 6:00 PM MST to January 6, 11:00 PM MST
Where: Central Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Seeley Creek SNOTEL received about 18 inches storm total, including 12 inches in 12 hours on January 6th. Also, Signal Peak RAWS recorded a maximum wind gust of 79 mph.

Winter Storm, Wasatch Mountain Valleys

When: January 6, 5:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Wasatch Mountain Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Eden and Kamas reported 12 inches of snow in 12 hours.

Heavy Snow, Northern Wasatch Front

When: January 6, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Northern Wasatch Front forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Layton Bench and the bench areas near Brigham City received 7 inches of snow in 8 hours.

Heavy Snow, Sanpete/Sevier Valleys

When: January 6, 1:00 PM MST to 9:00 PM MST
Where: Sanpete/Sevier Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Mt. Pleasant received 7 inches of snow in 8 hours and 13 inches total for the 3 day period.

Heavy Snow, Southwest Utah

When: January 6, 2:00 PM MST to January 7, 6:00 AM MST
Where: Southwest Utah forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Paragonah and Cedar City received 8 inches of snow in 12 hours.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Utah in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Utah, January 2008

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: 76901, 76902, 76903, 74848, 76905, 76904, 78764, 76906, 76900, 76907, 74849, 74850, 74852.