A storm system moving through Utah brought strong winds to the northern half of the state, especially along the higher terrain. These winds added to already dangerous avalanche conditions, and there was one avalanche fatality during this period of time.
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 storm system moving through Utah brought strong winds to the northern half of the state, especially along the higher terrain. These winds added to already dangerous avalanche conditions, and there was one avalanche fatality during this period of time.
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 Feb 21, 9:40 PM MST, 6 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
940 PM MST TUE FEB 21 2012
.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY.
&&
.DISCUSSION...A MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE
AREA THIS EVENING. WARM FRONT ALOFT THIS AFTERNOON BROUGHT ENHANCED
PRECIPITATION TO NORTHERN UTAH. WITH WARM ADVECTION NOW
DECREASING...PRECIPITATION COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WILL BE WINDING
DOWN OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...GIVEN ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN
PLACE...PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED TO COMPLETELY END...BUT RATHER
BECOME MORE SPOTTY AND CONFINED MOSTLY TO THE HIGH TERRAIN ACROSS
THE NORTH. THE AIRMASS HAS WARMED ENOUGH THAT MOST OF ANY
PRECIPITATION THAT WILL FALL IN THE LOWER VALLEYS TONIGHT WILL
REMAIN IN THE FORM OF RAIN. AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS...HIGH DENSITY SNOW
MIXED WITH RIMING WAS OBSERVED...AND THIS TYPE OF PRECIPITATION WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. WILL KEEP IN THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY IN PLACE FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS THROUGH TONIGHT.
WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TOMORROW AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING
SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE. THIS WILL AFFECT MOSTLY THE RIDGELINES
AND HIGHER ELEVATION VALLEYS SUCH AS SOUTHWEST WYOMING. A COLD FRONT
WILL THEN PUSH INTO NORTHERN UTAH TOMORROW NIGHT AND THROUGH
SOUTHERN UTAH THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL BE FAIRLY GUSTY AREAWIDE
NEAR THE FRONT...WITH STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS POSSIBLE IN FAVORED
AREAS SUCH AS NORTHWEST UTAH AND THE EASTERN VALLEYS. A QUICK BURST
OF SNOW LOOKS TO OCCUR ACROSS NORTHERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL UTAH
WITH THE FRONT...OTHERWISE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LIMITED SINCE
THE UPPER SUPPORT WILL BE LACKING IN DURATION AND LIMITED TO THE
NORTH. WIND HIGHLIGHTS REMAIN IN PLACE FROM LATE TONIGHT INTO
THURSDAY.
A BREAK IN THE WEATHER WILL BE IN STORE FOR THE AREA LATE THURSDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY AS THE STORM SYSTEM EXITS THE AREA. HOWEVER...ANOTHER
TROUGH WILL ARRIVE FOR THE WEEKEND...PACKING ANOTHER FAIRLY STRONG
COLD FRONT WHICH IS ALSO EXPECTED BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEFTY WINDS AND
SOME SNOW.
MADE MINOR UPDATES MAINLY TO LOWER POPS SLIGHTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.
&&
.AVIATION...CEILINGS AT THE SLC TERMINAL ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO
REMAIN BELOW 7000FT THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WITH ONLY A 30
PERCENT CHANCE THAT CEILINGS RISE ABOVE THAT LEVEL BEFORE 14Z.
SURFACE WINDS SHOULD PRIMARILY REMAIN FROM THE
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST...THOUGH VARIABLE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE NEAR SHOWERS.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...HIGH WIND WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
FOR UTZ005-012.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM MST WEDNESDAY FOR UTZ007.
WY...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 AM WEDNESDAY TO 8 AM MST THURSDAY FOR
WYZ021.
&&
PUBLIC...CHENG
AVIATION...SCHOENING
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 520 PM MST TUE FEB 21 2012 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-221330- 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- 520 PM MST TUE FEB 21 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION...BRINGING ACCUMULATING SNOW AND AREAS OF RIME TO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHERN UTAH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY MOIST NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL THROUGH WEDNESDAY BRINGING ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF NORTHERN UTAH. STRONG WESTERLY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHWEST WYOMING AND ALONG THE HIGHER PEAKS OF NORTHERN UTAH WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SNOW DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL UTAH. STRONG WEST TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWEST WYOMING AND ALONG THE RIDGELINES INTO THURSDAY MORNING. STRONG DOWNSLOPE WINDS ALSO LOOK POSSIBLE ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...LIKELY IMPACTING NORTHWEST UTAH...AND CASTLE COUNTRY AND THE UINTA BASIN IN EASTERN UTAH. GUSTY WINDS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF UTAHS DIXIE. ANOTHER COLD PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM LOOKS TO MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR WEST DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND BRINGING A CHANCE OF SNOW TO MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. .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) FOR INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL TRAVEL IMPACTS VISIT... HTTP://WWW.COMMUTERLINK.UTAH.GOV/ROADWEATHERFORECAST.ASPX
5 high wind, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
The Snowbasin-Straw Top sensor recorded strong winds for several hours, with a maximum wind gust of 89 mph.
The Windy Peak sensor recorded a maximum wind gust of 94 mph, while the Chepeta RAWS recorded a maximum wind gust of 85 mph.
The US-40 at Starvation sensor recorded a maximum wind gust of 64 mph.
The Joe's Valley RAWS recorded a maximum wind gust of 63 mph. In addition, the Fremont Junction sensor recorded a maximum wind gust of 59 mph, and recorded sustained winds above 40 mph for several hours.
Peak wind gusts across the Great Salt Lake Desert and Mountains included 83 mph at Promontory Point, 60 mph at Gunnison Island, 59 mph at Upper Cedar Mountain, and 58 mph at Lakeside Mountain.
Two snowboarders were in Dutch Draw, a backcountry area south of the Canyons Resort. After a brief stop, the victim went ahead of the other snowboarder, where he triggered an avalanche, was caught, and was buried. While he was eventually dug out of the snow by his companion, and other snowboarders in the area, he was buried for approximately 40 minutes. Attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful, and he died at the scene.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche, Wasatch Mountains South of I-80 | 2012-02-23 | 24 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, February 2012
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: 365932, 365933, 365934, 365935, 365936, 365938.