After a week where only isolated flash flooding impacted the state of Utah, a very moist air mass moved over the area once again. Flash flooding was reported in many locations across the state, including nearly-daily debris flows coming off the Seeley Fire burn scar.
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.
After a week where only isolated flash flooding impacted the state of Utah, a very moist air mass moved over the area once again. Flash flooding was reported in many locations across the state, including nearly-daily debris flows coming off the Seeley Fire burn scar.
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 16, 9:28 AM MST, 4 hours 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 1028 AM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 .SYNOPSIS...A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AS A HIGH PRESSURE CENTER ALOFT MOVES WESTWARD TO NEVADA...A NORTHWEST FLOW WILL ADVECT DRIER AIR INTO SOUTHWEST WYOMING AND AT LEAST THE NORTHWEST HALF OF UTAH THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. MOISTURE WILL LIKELY REMAIN ENTRENCHED OVER SOUTHEAST UTAH. && .DISCUSSION...VERY DEEP MOISTURE ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN THIS MORNING WITH PWAT VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH THROUGHOUT AND PUSHING 1.5 INCHES IN PLACES. EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER STREAMING NORTH THROUGH CENTRAL PORTIONS AN EARLY INHIBITOR TO CONVECTION BUT FLANKS SUPPORT TERRAIN CIRCULATION DEVELOPMENT ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTHERN UTAH COME MIDDAY. WEAK VORT MAX FAR SOUTHWEST ALONG THE UT/NV BORDER ATTM PROGGED TO SLOWLY DRIFT NORTH IN RAP13 INCREASING CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL ACROSS WESTERN/NORTHERN PORTIONS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. HRRR-3KM INDICATES TERRAIN BASED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE SPINE FIRST WITH NORTHERN COVERAGE INCREASING WITH AFOREMENTIONED VORT LOBE POST 00Z. ANTICIPATING QUITE AN ACTIVE DAY AS CONVECTION INITIATES...PRIMARILY REGARDING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN THREAT AND HEIGHTENED FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL ACROSS PRONE AREAS IN THE SOUTH AND POSSIBLY BURN SCARS FURTHER NORTH. SPC SHORT RANGE ENSEMBLES INDICATING SIGNIFICANT INSTABILITY DEVELOPING AND EXPECT FOCUS TO BE ALONG CLOUD COVER FLANKS AS DIFFERENTIAL HEATING ENSUES MIDDAY/AFTERNOON. THIN BUT DEEP CAPE TO PROMOTE DEEPER UPDRAFTS THAN THE LAST FEW DAYS. SAID INCREASE TO BOTH INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE SHOULD PROMOTE BOTH INCREASED AREAL COVERAGE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF STORMS. UPDATED EARLIER TO INCREASE AFTERNOON POPS ALONG THE TERRAIN AND ADJACENT VALLEYS MANY AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80...AND ADJUSTED CLOUD COVER TO MATCH RECENT TRENDS. ON THE LARGER SCALE...WATER VAPOR SHOWING MUCH OF THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION DOMINATED BY HIGH PRESSURE...ANOMALOUS COLD CORE UPPER LOW RETROGRADING FROM TEXAS PAN HANDLE INTO NEW MEXICO. SAID LOW WILL SLOWLY DRIFT WEST/SOUTHWEST DRIVING MID LEVEL EASTERLIES ACROSS CENTRAL/EASTERN UTAH AIDING MID LEVEL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE TODAY BEFORE A HEIGHTENED SOUTHWEST TRACK WILL PROMOTE A MORE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST FLOW IN 24 HOURS TIME. GLOBAL MODELS INDICATE HIGH PRESSURE TO CENTER OVER THE STATE THEN BULGE WEST ALLOWING A DRYER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW TO PIN MOISTURE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH/EAST COME LATE WEEK. && .AVIATION...OPERATIONAL WEATHER CONCERNS TO INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE KSLC TERMINAL. EXPECTING THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME MORE OF A THREAT THROUGH THAT TIME POTENTIALLY SPIKING IN THE 23Z-05Z TIMEFRAME. A 40 PERCENT CHANCE EXISTS FOR GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND A 30 PERCENT CHANCE EXISTS FOR DIRECT IMPACT DUE TO LIGHTNING. SURFACE WINDS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SOUTHERLY THROUGH THE DAY...THOUGH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE EXISTS FOR A NORTHWEST SWITCH DUE TO THE LAKE BREEZE IN THE 19-23Z WINDOW. CLOUD COVER INHIBITING THIS ATTM BUT WILL MONITOR. && .FIRE WEATHER...A MORE MOIST AIRMASS HAS MOVED OVER THE STATE IN THE LAST 24 HOURS...AND WILL LIKELY LEAD TO INCREASED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...AS WELL AS SOMEWHAT HIGHER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES COMPARED TO THE LAST FEW DAYS. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT MAY BE DELAYED IN SOME AREAS WITH EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...BUT DEVELOPMENT SHOULD STILL OCCUR BY MID AFTERNOON. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT...ALTHOUGH GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. WETTING RAIN POTENTIAL IS HIGH ENOUGH TO LIMIT POTENTIAL IGNITION DUE TO LIGHTNING STRIKES. THIS DEEPLY MOIST AIRMASS WILL LINGER THROUGH WEDNESDAY...BEFORE A DRYING FROM THE NORTHWEST BEGINS ON THURSDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RH VALUES FOR THE END OF THE WEEK AND HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LIKELY CONSTRICTED TO THE FAR SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...NONE. WY...NONE. && MERRILL/VERZELLA 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 413 AM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-171015- 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- 413 AM MDT TUE JUL 16 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE THE RULE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SOME POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING WILL STILL EXIST ON WEDNESDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE AT OR CLOSE TO TRIPLE DIGITS ACROSS MANY VALLEY LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. BARJENBRUCH 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), 226 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:18 UTC.
13 flash flood, 2 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain resulted in a large debris flow off the Seeley Fire burn scar, covering a 10-mile stretch of State Route 31 in water, mud, and debris. This flow caused extensive damage and undercutting in the Horse Canyon area, near milepost 31.
Flash flooding was reported along the Paria River and many of its tributatries, including Buckskin, Lick, Bull, Yellow, and Willis. The flooding impacted Skutumpah Road, with water and mud rising four feet deep along the road.
A debris flow occurred on the Quail Fire burn scar near Alpine after heavy rain fell over the area. Flooding impacted a couple of residential yards and a couple of roads across the area, but major impacts to houses were avoided due to mitigation and rerouting of the flood waters.
On the northeast end of the Seeley Fire burn scar, flash flooding plugged culverts after one round of heavy rain, and then a larger flash flood occurred after a second thunderstorm moved over the area. In contrast to the flash flooding that typically flows over State Route 31, this water moved eastward toward Price.
Flash flooding occurred along the Escalante River and its tributaries, with the Escalante River gauge rising from near zero to 746 cfs in a short period of time.
Park rangers reported flash flooding across the main portion of Capitol Reef National Park, including in Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge. The Scenic Drive was also closed due to the flooding.
Flash flooding occurred along Huntington Creek, with a three foot rise on the creek observed at the Huntington Power Plant.
A stronger secondary wave of flash flooding occurred along Huntington Creek, with a rise of five feet along the creek observed at the PacifiCorp Huntington Plant. This time, the heavy rain also resulted in a debris flow at the Seeley Fire burn scar, resulting in State Route 31 being covered in sand and silt between mileposts 24 and 34. This also resulted in some debris flowing in the river near Huntington Plant, including a couple of large logs.
Flash flooding occurred along Last Chance Creek, with water flowing over some of the minor roads in the area.
Flash flooding occurred along the Buckskin Gulch, with a three foot rise in water levels through the area.
A large flash flood occurred along the Wahweap Creek drainage, which included car-sized boulders rolling down the drainage.
Flash flooding was reported in Zion National Park, including in the Subway and all of the headwaters of North Creek.
Flash flooding occurred in Hildale, with widespread standing water across the town.
Flash flooding occurred across the main portion of Capitol Reef National Park, including Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, and the Scenic Drive.
Flash flooding occurred in the town of Washington, with flooding beginning along Washington Drive and Interstate 15, and then spreading into the Coral Canyon subdivision. Two homes were especially impacted, with flood waters moving into their backyards. Using water pumps, the fire department was able to keep the flooding from entering one of the homes, but they were unable to keep waters from flowing into the second home. Water and mud as deep as two inches made it into the majority of the home, with interior damages estimated to be as high as $15,000.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, July 2013
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: 471720, 469755, 469769, 471723, 469758, 469773, 469777, 469779, 469794, 469796, 469784, 469654, 469801, 469798, 471734.