The same system that impacted much of Utah in the middle of December also brought snow to far southwest Wyoming.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
The same system that impacted much of Utah in the middle of December also brought snow to far southwest Wyoming.
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 19, 4:26 PM MST, 4 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
426 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010
.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL UTAH TONIGHT BEFORE STALLING OVER THE SOUTH ON MONDAY.
MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL REMAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH DURING THIS
TIME...AND SPREAD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY.
DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS FLOW WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY
PRECIPITATION THROUGH MIDWEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...MEAN UPPER LOW SPINNING ACROSS THE GULF OF AK WILL
MORE OR LESS REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE COMING
WEEK...ALLOWING A WELL ESTABLISHED SUBTROPICAL TAP TO CONTINUE
STREAMING INTO THE WESTERN CONUS THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD.
SHORTWAVE FEATURES EJECTING FROM THIS PARENT LOW WILL BRING
A PROLONGED PERIOD OF PRECIPITATION...OCCASIONALLY HEAVY...TO THE
REGION THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
SHORTWAVE TROUGH EJECTING FROM PARENT LOW CURRENTLY MOVING INTO
THE WESTERN GREAT BASIN...AND WILL PASS JUST NORTH OF THE FORECAST
AREA OVERNIGHT...PUSHING A COLD FRONT THROUGH NORTHERN UT. PLUME
OF WARM AIR/MOISTURE ADVECTION CONTINUES TO RESULT IN WIDESPREAD
VALLEY RAIN/MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL ACROSS NORTHERN UT. SURFACE COLD
FRONT EXPECTED TO CROSS THE WASATCH FRONT NEAR OR SHORTLY AFTER
MIDNIGHT. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS CHANGEOVER TO SNOW WILL OCCUR
TOWARD THE END OF PRECIP EVENT...WITH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS GENERALLY
AROUND AN INCH OR TWO. WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS REMAINING NEAR OR ABOVE
FREEZING AND SNOWFALL GENERALLY ENDING BEFORE THE MORNING COMMUTE
FEEL IMPACT IS FAIRLY LOW AT THIS TIME AND OPTED AGAINST A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY. HOWEVER A QUICKER CHANGEOVER WOULD LIKELY HAVE A
GREATER IMPACT...AND WILL NEED TO MONITOR CLOSELY.
OTHERWISE 700MB WINDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON...AND AS SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTINUES TO TIGHTEN
ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL UT SURFACE WINDS HAVE BEEN INCREASING
THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE GONE AHEAD AND ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST UT THROUGH THIS EVENING.
SURFACE FRONT LOOKS TO STALL ACROSS SOUTHERN UT DURING THE DAY
MONDAY ALLOWING FOR A BRIEF DRY PERIOD ACROSS THE NORTH MONDAY
AFTERNOON...BEFORE BOUNDARY QUICKLY LIFTS BACK NORTHWARD MONDAY
NIGHT INTO TUESDAY BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIPITATION. THIS
MAY START OUT AS SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN VALLEYS WHERE COLD AIR WILL
REMAIN ENTRENCHED...HOWEVER SHOULD CHANGE OVER TO RAIN DURING THE
DAY TUESDAY. PRECIPITATION LOOKS TO PERSIST ACROSS THE SOUTH
THROUGHOUT THIS TIME WITH HEAVY SNOWFALL EXPECTED ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS ABOVE 8000 FEET.
MODELS CONTINUE TO EJECT SHORTWAVE THROUGH THE REGION DURING THE
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY PERIOD BRINGING ONE MORE ROUND OF HEAVY
PRECIPITATION BEFORE RIDGING BRINGS A DRYING TREND FOR LATE IN THE
WEEK.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE TAP TAKING AIM AT SOUTHWEST
UTAH...AND LOOKS TO LARGELY REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LOW
ELEVATION RAINFALL TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES LOOK POSSIBLE THROUGH
MONDAY WITH MOUNTAIN RAINFALL BELOW 8000 FEET APPROACHING 5 INCHES
LOCALLY IN THE PINE VALLEYS. COMBINATION OF RELATIVELY HIGH DEW
POINT AIRMASS AND RAINFALL IS ALSO ALLOWING FOR MID ELEVATION
SNOWMELT WHICH SEEMS TO BE AIDING IN RISES ALONG LA VERKIN
CREEK...NORTH FORK OF THE VIRGIN...AND OTHER AREA WATERWAYS. WENT
AHEAD WITH A FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL STREAMS AND NORMALLY DRY
WASHES ACROSS EASTERN WASHINGTON AND WESTERN KANE COUNTIES THROUGH
MONDAY AFTERNOON.
SIMILAR IF NOT GREATER AMOUNTS LOOK POSSIBLE DURING THE TUESDAY-
WEDNESDAY TIMEFRAME AS MOISTURE PLUME CURRENTLY NEAR HI SPREADS
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT BASIN AND SOUTHWEST UT. 5 DAY LOCAL
STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IN THE PINE VALLEYS APPROACHING 10 INCHES
LOOKS POSSIBLE POSSIBLE. THIS MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD
TO ADDITIONAL FLOODING ALONG SMALL STREAMS...SLOT CANYONS...AND
NORMALLY DRY WASHES...AND PERHAPS ALONG THE MAIN STEM OF THE
VIRGIN AS WELL. WENT AHEAD AND EXTENDED GOING FLOOD WATCH THROUGH
THIS TIME PERIOD.
&&
AVIATION...CEILINGS EXPECTED TO REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 7000FT AGL AT
THE KSLC TERMINAL THROUGH 02-3Z...THEN LOWER TO BELOW 7000 FT AGL
IN PERIODS OF RAIN WITH A 10 PERCENT CHANCE OF MVFR VISIBILITIES.
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TERMINAL TONIGHT...MOST LIKELY
BETWEEN 06-07Z. A COUPLE OF HOURS OF IFR WILL LIKELY OCCUR BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT WITH POSSIBLE TEMPORARY LIFR VISIBILITIES.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR UTZ019-020.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM MST MONDAY FOR UTZ007>010.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM MST WEDNESDAY ABOVE 8000 FEET
FOR UTZ517-518.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR UTZ015-016.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM MST THIS EVENING FOR UTZ011.
WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM MST MONDAY FOR WYZ021.
&&
SEAMAN/STRUTHWOLF
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 544 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 UTZ001>010-014-015-517-WYZ021-201400- 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- SANPETE/SEVIER VALLEYS-WEST CENTRAL UTAH-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHWEST WYOMING- 544 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN UTAH...AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE OVER NORTHWEST UTAH THIS EVENING AND PUSH SOUTH INTO CENTRAL UTAH LATE TONIGHT. A PERIOD OF INTENSE PRECIPITATION CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG AND FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...WITH SNOW LEVELS EXPECTED TO FALL TO THE VALLEY FLOORS. SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND OVER SOUTHWEST WYOMING. WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT TO ADDRESS THE HEAVY SNOWFALL. STRONG SOUTH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND DECREASE BEHIND THE FRONT OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A BRIEF BREAK IN WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. A WARM FRONT WILL PUSH NORTH THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT...RESULTING IN A RETURN OF VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW BY TUESDAY MORNING. A PERSISTENT AND QUITE MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL FOLLOW THE WARM FRONT MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED ALONG THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES...WITH LOWER ELEVATIONS SEE RAIN OR RAIN AND SNOW MIXED. A PACIFIC TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE TROUGH...WITH SNOW LEVELS LOWERING DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY. MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS WILL EASILY SEE 1 TO 2 FEET OF NEW SNOW MIDWEEK...WITH MANY LOCATIONS CLOSER TO 3 FEET BY THE END OF THE DAY THURSDAY. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY WILL BRING A PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER TO UTAH. TEMPERATURES AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE A NOTEABLE WARMING TREND LATE IN THE WEEK...WITH THE LOWER VALLEYS MORE SLOW TO RESPOND DUE TO STRENGTHENING INVERSIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. UTZ016-019-020-518-201400- SOUTHWEST UTAH-UTAHS DIXIE AND ZION NATIONAL PARK- SOUTH CENTRAL UTAH-SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS- 544 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST UTAH. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE VERY MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN WIDESPREAD AND STEADY PRECIPITATION OVERNIGHT. MOST PRECIPITATION WILL REMAIN IN THE FORM OF RAIN AS SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY HIGH. EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM EARLIER HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHWEST UTAH. AN AREAL FLOOD WARNING IS IN TONIGHT FOR AREAS OVER AND NEAR ZION NATIONAL PARK. CREEKS AND SMALL STREAMS IN THE AREA WILL SEE FAST FLOWS WITH FLOODING POSSIBLE. MAIN STEM RIVERS SUCH AS THE VIRGIN AND SANTA CLARA WILL EXPERIENCE HIGHER FLOWS...WITH THE VIRGIN RIVER BETWEEN HURRICANE AND ST GEORGE NEAR BANKFULL TONIGHT. POCKETS OF STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE LOWER VALLEYS WILL CONTINUE INTO EVENING HOURS. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE OVERNIGHT...THOUGH REMAINING BREEZY IN SPOTS LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HEAVY VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE MOISTURE STREAM OFF THE PACIFIC OCEAN WILL REMAIN LOCKED ON SOUTHWEST UTAH THROUGH MIDWEEK. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH SNOW TOTALS MEASURED IN FEET ACROSS THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS. A WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE STORM SYSTEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY THURSDAY. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL SETTLE OVER THE GREAT BASIN THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... BRINGING DRIER CONDITIONS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES HEADING INTO NEXT WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. UTZ011>013-021-201400- WESTERN UINTA BASIN-CASTLE COUNTRY-SAN RAFAEL SWELL- GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA/LAKE POWELL- 544 PM MST SUN DEC 19 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EASTERN VALLEYS OF UTAH. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT... RESULTING IN PERIODS OF RAIN AND SNOW OVERNIGHT. WIDESPREAD HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED...WITH MINIMAL ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP INTO THE AREA BY EARLY MONDAY MORNING... THEN STALL ACROSS CENTRAL UTAH BY AFTERNOON. A PERIOD OF INTENSE PRECIPITATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT OVER THE UINTA BASIN AND CASTLE COUNTRY. STEADY PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN THE MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE REGION. THE WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY. A MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL FOLLOW THE WARM FRONT...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE STORM SYSTEM OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC WHICH HAS DIRECTED THE MOISTURE INTO THE REGION WILL SWEEP THROUGH EASTERN UTAH BY EARLY THURSDAY. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL FOLLOW FOR LATE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...PRODUCING DRY CONDITIONS AND SOMEWHAT WARMER TEMPERATURES HEADING INTO 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)
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Evanston and Mountain View received 7 inches of new snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, December 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: 274552.