Thunderstorms remained very active across Utah at the end of the month of July. Several flash floods occurred during this period of time, and severe winds were observed in Utah's northwest desert on July 26th.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Thunderstorms remained very active across Utah at the end of the month of July. Several flash floods occurred during this period of time, and severe winds were observed in Utah's northwest desert on July 26th.
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 Jul 26, 3:02 PM MST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 402 PM MDT THU JUL 26 2012 .SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL EASE EAST OF THE REGION THIS WEEKEND...ALLOWING A DRYING WESTERLY FLOW TO NOSE INTO THE NORTHWESTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE STATE. MOISTURE WILL RETURN TO ALL AREAS BY MIDWEEK OF NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH BULGES BACK WEST. && .DISCUSSION....IN GENERAL JUST SOME SHALLOW CU OVER THE TERRAIN THIS AFTERNOON AS MID LEVELS REMAIN QUITE STABLE. GOES PWAT IMAGERY DOES SHOW A NET INCREASE OF MOISTURE SPREADING AS FAR NORTH AS CENTRAL UTAH AND RUC13 CONTINUES A GRADUAL COOLING TREND AT THE MID LEVELS. SUSPECT TO SEE A NET INCREASE OF ISOLATED TERRAIN DRIVEN CONVECTION OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS MID LEVELS CONTINUE TO MOISTEN/COOL. THE AFOREMENTIONED MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SURGE NORTH OVERNIGHT COINCIDENT AND AHEAD OF A WEAK WAVE CURRENTLY OVER WESTERN NEVADA. PWAT IS EXPECTED TO TREND BACK UP TOWARDS AN INCH ACROSS THE NORTH/WEST AS THIS WAVE ARCS NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT...DECIDED TO ADD SLIGHT CHANCE MENTION FOR SHOWERS FOR THE SUNRISE HOURS AS ADDITION OF WEAK DYNAMICS SHOULD AT LEAST SPREAD SOME VIRGA SHOWERS/SPRINKLES OVER THE NORTH. A DRYING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL NOSE INTO WESTERN UTAH IN WAKE OF THIS WAVE PASSAGE...THEN WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TERRAIN DRIVEN CONVECTION WILL REMAIN IN PLACE MOST ALL AREAS FRIDAY...BUT WILL BE TRENDING TO DRY OVER THE FAR NORTH THIS WEEKEND. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT EAST THROUGH THAT TIME LIMITING THE DEEPER MOISTURE INFLUX TO THE SOUTHEASTERN THIRD OF THE STATE. CONTINUED A NET INCREASING TREND IN POPS THERE FOR THE SATURDAY/SUNDAY GRIDS. TEMPS TO REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL NORMS MANY AREAS THOUGH PORTIONS OF THE NORTH/WEST WILL RUN ABOUT 5 DEGREES ABOVE. STILL LOOKING FOR A RESURGENCE OF DEEP MOISTURE TO ALL AREAS EARLY/MID NEXT WEEK...THIS AS THE HIGH BULGES BACK TO THE WEST ONCE AGAIN. 12Z GLOBALS REMAIN ON TRACK WITH THIS...THOUGH NORTHERN EXTENT OF SURGE IS MORE PROLIFIC IN THE ECMWF. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AT THE SLC TERMINAL THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. NORTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST BETWEEN 03-04Z. && .FIRE WEATHER...THE AIRMASS OVER UTAH WILL DRY FROM THE WEST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH DEEPER MOISTURE REMAINING IN PLACE OVER THE SOUTHEAST. DESPITE THIS DRYING...ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE CAPABLE OF FORMING OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN EACH AFTERNOON. ISOLATED CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN UTAH...AS AFTERNOON RH VALUES CONTINUE TO LOWER AND SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW INCREASES...BUT WIND GUSTS GREATER THAN 30 MPH ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD AT THIS TIME. MONSOONAL MOISTURE MAY RETURN TO MUCH OF THE STATE EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...NONE. WY...NONE. && MERRILL/YOUNG/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 206 AM MDT THU JUL 26 2012 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-271300- 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- 206 AM MDT THU JUL 26 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A DRIER AIRMASS HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH THIS WEEKEND...THEN DEEPEN AND SPREAD NORTH ACROSS THE REST OF UTAH BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...IN ADDITION TO LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING OF SLOT CANYONS AND NORMALLY DRY WASHES OF SOUTHERN UTAH...IN ADDITION TO RECENT BURN SCARS ACROSS THE REGION WILL BECOME A GREATER THREAT NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ROGOWSKI 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.UDOTTRAFFIC.UTAH.GOV/ROADWEATHERFORECAST.ASPX
The Salt Lake City radar (KMTX), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:43 UTC.
9 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The Salt Flats sensor in the Dugway Proving Ground mesonet recorded a maximum wind gust of 63 mph.
Flash flooding occurred across parts of Capitol Reef National Park, including along Sulphur Creek. The worst of the flooding was in the Cathedral Valley area of the park, where roads were washed out, with trenches 2.5 feet deep.
A hiker was struck by lightning near Amethyst Lake, which is located in the Uinta Mountains. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition, but recovered from the injuries and survived.
A large debris flow occurred on the Seeley burn scar, originating from canyons of Nuc Woodward, South Hughes, and Chute, with debris flowing onto State Route 31.
A large debris flow occurred at the Wood Hollow burn scar. This debris flow damaged multiple homes, with two homes in particular receiving significant damage. The main damage was caused by mud flowing into basements, with one home having muddy water pooled as much as 8 feet deep in the basement. In addition, the debris crossed over State Route 132 and closed the road for several hours.
Flash flooding was reported adjacent to Rockville, Utah, flowing into the Virgin River.
A flash flood occurred on Coal Creek, with the gauge there increasing from 44 cfs to 1021 cfs in one hour.
Yet another debris flow occurred at the Seeley burn scar, this one originating from South Hughes Canyon. Debris once again flowed over State Route 31.
Sulphur Creek in Capitol Reef National Park flash flooded once again, this time with a 3 to 4 foot flood wave crossing under the bridge of State Route 24, not far from the visitors center.
Multiple drainages across Zion National Park experienced significant flash flooding. The North Fork of the Virgin River was included, with the gauge there increasing from 59 cfs to 1433 cfs in two hours.
Flash flooding occurred in the upper portions of the Coal Creek drainage, near Brian Head, temporarily closing State Route 143.
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, July 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: 403689, 405296, 405515, 405510, 405525, 405533, 405560, 405538, 405548, 405563, 403693.