A strong arctic cold front moved through the state of Utah a couple days before Thanksgiving. This front brought blizzard conditions to northern Utah and very cold air to the entire state.
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 arctic cold front moved through the state of Utah a couple days before Thanksgiving. This front brought blizzard conditions to northern Utah and very cold air to the entire state.
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 Nov 23, 9:50 AM MST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
950 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010
.SYNOPSIS...STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW TUESDAY WILL GIVE WAY TO A VERY
STRONG ARCTIC FRONT MOVING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. AN EXTREMELY COLD AIRMASS WILL
BE OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
&&
.DISCUSSION...EXTREMELY POTENT ARCTIC FRONT IS NEAR A KEKO-KJER-
KHLN LINE THIS MORNING AS IT CONTINUES TO THE SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE
CWA. FRONT IS RATHER WELL DEFINED ON MSAS...SATELLITE
IMAGERY...AND ON THE RADAR MOSAIC...WHERE BRIGHT BANDING HAS BEEN
OBSERVED ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT. IN UTAH...WINDS ARE
CONTINUING TO INCREASE AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. WARM ADVECTION
PRECIP CONTINUES OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHERN UTAH AS WELL
AS SOUTHWEST WYOMING.
12Z GFS IS TRENDING FASTER WITH THE APPROACH OF THE
FRONT...BRINGING IT THROUGH THE SALT LAKE VALLEY BY 00Z. LATEST
NAM IS STILL HOLDING ON TO A SOLUTION THAT IS AN HOUR OR SO
SLOWER. GIVEN THE CURRENT SPEED OF THE FRONT...THINK THAT THE
FASTER SOLUTION MAY BE MORE LIKELY...SO TIMING THAT HAS BEEN
ADVERTISED COULD BE UP TO AN HOUR SLOW. A FASTER FRONT WOULD CAUSE
FURTHER IMPACTS ON THE AFTERNOON COMMUTE. WILL LIKELY GO WITH
FASTER TIMING WITH FUTURE WEATHER GRAPHICS...BRIEFINGS...ETC.
REGARDLESS OF MINOR TIMING ISSUES...THIS REMAINS A HIGH CONFIDENCE
FORECAST FOR A VERY STRONG SYSTEM THAT WILL PRODUCE POTENTIALLY
DANGEROUS WINDS...HEAVY SNOWFALL...AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS THAT
WILL MAKE EVENING TRAVEL TREACHEROUS.
HAVE LEFT GOING HEADLINES UNCHANGED WITH THE MORNING UPDATE WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF THE ADDITION OF A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE
NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT. MESOWEST OBS INDICATED A FEW STATIONS IN
THAT ZONE ALREADY GUSTING INTO THE 40 MPH RANGE...SO FEEL THE
POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WINDS IS THERE WITH THE GRADIENT ONLY
INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON. NOTICED SOME LIGHTNING STRIKES ALONG
THE FRONT OVER IDAHO. CONSIDERING THAT THE FRONT WILL BE
STRENGTHENING AS IT MOVES INTO NORTHERN UTAH...WILL ADD ISOLATED
THUNDER TO THE FORECAST WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE.
THREAT OF SNOW CONTINUES INTO WEDNESDAY DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF
POTENTIAL LAKE EFFECT AND A TRAILING WAVE ON THE BACK END OF THE
EXITING TROUGH. EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE
AREA TONIGHT AND COULD REMAIN IN PLACE FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
&&
.AVIATION...STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 23Z...WITH
AN ABRUPT SWITCH TO A NORTHWEST FLOW WITH A COLD FRONT PASSAGE BY
00Z. CEILINGS SHOULD LOWER TO BELOW 7K FT BY 21Z...THOUGH THERE IS A
CHANCE FOR THEM TO REMAIN HIGHER UNTIL THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH
THE COLD FRONT...LIFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED WITH
SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ012-013-019>021.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ006>010.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR
UTZ002-003-005.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY
FOR UTZ001>005.
HARD FREEZE WARNING FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST
WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ019.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY
FOR UTZ517-518.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR UTZ015-016.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY
FOR UTZ011-014>016.
WY...BLIZZARD WARNING FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY
FOR WYZ021.
&&
PUBLIC...TRAPHAGAN
AVIATION...BARJENBRUCH
FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE)
FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
VISIT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY/GENERAL/AFD_FAQS.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 516 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-241400- 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- 516 AM MST TUE NOV 23 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONGER AND COLDER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OF ALL REGARDING THE LATEST SERIES OF STORMS...AND WILL LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY. HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL CONTINUE IN ALL MOUNTAIN AREAS FROM THIS SERIES OF STORMS. SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION IS ALSO LIKELY IN MOST VALLEYS EXCEPT THE FAR SOUTH. STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITH THE STORM TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING A VERY COLD AIRMASS INTO THE OUTLOOK AREA THAT WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. THE STRONG WINDS WITH THIS STORM COULD CREATE BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS OVER MAINLY THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OUTLOOK AREA FOR A TIME TUESDAY NIGHT...AND COULD SERIOUSLY IMPACT TRAVEL AND ALL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD NORTHERLY FLOW WILL GRADUALLY GIVE WAY TO HIGH PRESSURE FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. THE NEXT PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE AREA LATE IN THE DAY SATURDAY...AND LINGER INTO TUESDAY. .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)
7 blizzard, 3 high wind, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The U.S. 6 at Eureka sensor recorded strong winds for a few hours straight, with a maximum wind gust of 60 mph.
Maximum recorded wind gusts ahead of the cold front included 63 mph at Vernon Hill, 59 mph at South Mountain, and 59 mph at the Salt Lake #2 airport.
Blizzard conditions occurred across parts of the northern Wasatch Mountains, with wind gusts up to 86 mph on Ogden Peak and up to 75 mph at the Snowbasin Resort Wildcat sensor. Both Tony Grove Lake and Monte Cristo SNOTEL sites received 1.00 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation, or approximately 15 inches of new snow based on snow ratios from similar elevations.
Blizzard conditions occurred across portions of the Wasatch Mountain valleys, with low visibilities, snow, and winds up to 45 mph in Heber City. Jeremy Ranch received a storm total of 10 inches new snow.
Blizzard conditions occurred across the Cache Valley, with the Logan Airport ASOS reporting 4 hours of visibilities below 0.50 miles, along with snow and wind gusts up to 47 mph. Logan and Richmond both reported 6 inches of snow for the storm.
The maximum recorded wind gust ahead of the cold front was 63 mph at the I-80 at Grassey sensor.
Blizzard conditions occurred in the Great Salt Lake desert and mountains, with low visibilities and snow. The strongest wind gusts across the area were 60 mph at the Callao Gate and Causeway sensors in the Dugway Proving Ground mesonet.
Blizzard conditions occurred across the northern Wasatch Front, with the Ogden Airport ASOS recording 3 hours of visibilities below 0.50 miles, along with snow and wind gusts up to 49 mph. Storm total snow reports included 8 inches in Brigham City, 6 inches on the Bountiful Bench, 5 inches on the North Salt Lake Bench, and 5 inches in Bountiful.
Though blizzard-like conditions did not last more than about an hour in the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys, significant snowfall accumulation still occurred in a short period of time. Storm totals included 8 inches of new snow in West Jordan, 7 inches in Stansbury Park, and 5 inches in the Upper Avenues. UDOT studies showed that commuters paid heed to the warnings, as peak PM hour traffic was approximately 58% less than historic volume, while pre-peak shoulder traffic was higher. UDOT also calculated that 50,000 hours of travel time was saved by people leaving for the|commute early, equating to a savings of $1,000,000.
Blizzard conditions occurred across parts of the Wasatch Mountains south of I-80, with low visibilities and wind gusts up to 73 mph at the Sundance - Arrowhead sensor. Storm totals included 17 inches of snow at Brighton Crest and 11 inches at Alta Ski Lifts.
Blizzard conditions occurred over the western Uinta Mountains, with a maximum wind gust of 70 mph recorded at the Chepeta RAWS. For the storm, the Chepeta RAWS received 0.80 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation, or approximately 12 inches of new snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, November 2010
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: 268492, 268489, 268486, 268485, 268494, 268490, 268502, 268497, 268363, 268487, 268484.