Gusty south winds developed ahead of an approaching cold front, with the strongest winds across much of western and central 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.
Gusty south winds developed ahead of an approaching cold front, with the strongest winds across much of western and central 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 Jan 4, 9:50 AM MST, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
950 AM MST FRI JAN 4 2008
.SYNOPSIS...A COLD PACIFIC TROUGH WILL ENTER THE GREAT BASIN LATER
TODAY...AND REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A MAJOR
WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT MOST OF THE AREA THIS WEEKEND.
&&
.DISCUSSION...STILL ON TRACK FOR A MAJOR WIND EVENT LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT SATURDAY. NOT
MUCH CHANGE IN MOST RECENT MODELS WITH GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS AT 700 MB
IN THE PREFRONTAL SOUTHWEST FLOW IN BOTH GFS AND NAM. CURRENT
PACKAGE HAS HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRING IN WESTERN VALLEYS
OVERNIGHT BUT WITH STRONGEST WINDS ALOFT AT THIS TIME AND
TIGHTENING SURFACE GRADIENT...WARNING LEVEL WINDS LIKELY TO MIX TO
THE SURFACE DESPITE NOCTURNAL SURFACE COOLING. WILL RECONSIDER
WHETHER TO MODIFY EXPIRATION TIME OF HIGH WIND WARNING WHEN
PRODUCTS ARE UPDATED LATER THIS MORNING. WILL STILL KEEP HIGH WIND
EVENT SEPARATE FROM THE SNOW EVENT.
EXPECT MOUNTAINS TO START GETTING SNOW IN THE PREFRONTAL SW FLOW
LATE TONIGHT WHILE VALLEYS WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FROPA. EXPECT
INTENSE SNOWFALL WITH AND BEHIND THE FRONT FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 HOURS
AS IT MOVES SOUTH THROUGH THE STATE SATURDAY. FROPA AT SLC APPEARS
TO BE AROUND 14Z. BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON VALLEY PRECIP WILL HAVE
ENDED OVER MUCH OF THE WASATCH FRONT...WHILE MOUNTAINS SHOULD
CONTINUE TO SEE SNOW SHOWERS BUT WITH LOWER INTENSITY. COMBINATION
OF WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW SHOULD MAKE FOR VERY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS
FOR A FEW HOURS.
BASED ON LATEST MODELS BELIEVE 2-4 INCHES ON THE VALLEY FLOOR
ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT WITH 5-8 ON THE BENCHES. BASICALLY A
REPEAT OF LAST SUNDAYS FROPA BUT ON STEROIDS. CURRENT WINTER STORM
WATCH HAS HIGHER AMOUNTS AND WILL LOWER THE NUMBERS SLIGHTLY WITH
NEXT ISSUANCE. MOUNTAINS STILL SHOULD SEE 1-2 FEET TOTALS BY SATURDAY
NIGHT.
FRONT STALLS ACROSS SOUTHERN UT AND PRECIP WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
MUCH OF SATURDAY NIGHT.
A SECOND STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT BASIN SUNDAY AND
SUNDAY NIGHT. QUICK LOOK AT 12Z GFS SUGGESTS SNOW TO DEVELOP OVER
MUCH OF THE STATE AGAIN DURING THE DAY SUNDAY WITH THE HEAVIEST
PRECIP BEING OVER S. UTAH...THIS IS A DEPARTURE FROM PREVIOUS GFS
WHICH HAD HEAVIEST SNOW OVER THE NORTH SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. IF
THE BAROCLINIC ZONE STALLS OVER THE SOUTH IT SEEMS REASONABLE THAT
NEXT TROUGH WOULD DEVELOP A WAVE ALONG THIS STALLED BOUNDARY
RATHER THAN UP NORTH. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH SUNDAY
SYSTEM...WILL DEAL WITH THIS AS A SECOND STORM RATHER THAN A
CONTINUATION OF THE SATURDAY EVENT.
COLD ADVECTION AT 500 MB CONTINUES UNTIL MONDAY AFTERNOON...SO
EXPECT OROGRAPHIC SNOW THROUGH MUCH OF MONDAY IN AREAS FAVORED BY
WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW.
&&
.AVIATION...SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST OVER 25 KTS BY 18Z TODAY AT
THE SLC TERMINAL AND PLAN ON ISSUING AIRPORT WIND WARNING SHORTLY.
WINDS WILL THEN CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH TONIGHT. SOUTHERLY
WINDS AT 2000 FT AGL WILL INCREASE TO OVER 50 KTS BY 20Z AND COULD
EXCEED 60 KTS BETWEEN 03 AND 09Z SATURDAY WHILE GUSTS AT THE SURFACE
COULD REACH 50 KTS DURING THIS TIME. VFR CIGS ABV 7 KFT WILL PREVAIL
THRU 02Z THEN THERE IS AN INCREASING CHANCE OF DROPPING BELOW 7000
FT AFTER THAT. A STRONG COLD FRONT WITH LIFR OR VLIFR CONDITIONS IN
HEAVY SNOW WILL AFFECT THE SLC TERMINAL FOR AROUND 4 TO 5 HOURS
BETWEEN 14Z AND 19Z SATURDAY.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ007-UTZ008.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR
UTZ007-UTZ008-UTZ009-UTZ010.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM FRIDAY FOR UTZ517.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR UTZ517-
UTZ518.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ003-UTZ005-
UTZ015-UTZ016.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO MIDNIGHT SUNDAY FOR
UTZ001-UTZ002-UTZ003-UTZ004-UTZ006.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ002-UTZ004-UTZ006.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT SATURDAY FOR UTZ014.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SUNDAY FOR
UTZ011.
WY...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM MIDNIGHT SATURDAY TO 6 PM SATURDAY FOR
WYZ021.
&&
PUBLIC...DUNN
AVIATION...WILENSKY
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)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
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple locations had wind gusts greater than 60 mph, including an 83 mph wind gust at the Dugway mesonet site at Upper Cedar Mountain.
The sensor at Ogden Peak recorded a 77 mph wind gust.
Multiple sites received gusts over 75 mph, including a 79 mph gust at the Park City Jupiter sensor.
Signal Peak RAWS experienced gusty winds for an extended period of time, with the highest gust being 77 mph.
Several sites recorded wind gusts greater than 60 mph, with the highest gust being a 75 mph gust in Tooele. The winds knocked down power lines and trees as large as 12 inches in diameter in both the Tooele and Salt Lake valleys. Damages also included many fences that were blown down, whole sides of houses that were missing siding, shingles blown off, and portions of roofs missing. The county of Tooele submitted around $40,000 worth of damages, including damages to communications equipment and vehicles. The city of Tooele submitted about $50,000 worth of damage, including damages sustained at the golf course, cemetery, and various city buildings. The damage estimate also includes large amounts of private property damage, including roof repairs and reports of trees falling on vehicles.
The Kings Canyon RAWS had sustained winds of 43 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, 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: 74741, 74731, 74732, 74734, 74735, 74742.