An avalanche in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah resulted in the death of one snowmobiler.
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.
An avalanche in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah resulted in the death of one snowmobiler.
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 Mar 7, 3:52 PM MST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 352 PM MST FRI MAR 7 2014 .SYNOPSIS...A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL GRADUALLY MOVE EAST OF THE AREA TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL QUICKLY FOLLOW FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND BRINGING WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS AREAWIDE. THE NEXT PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. && .SHORT TERM (THROUGH 00Z MONDAY)...THE LAKE EFFECT PRECIPITATION THAT BROUGHT RAIN AND SNOW TO AREAS SOUTH OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE HAS DIMINISHED...LEAVING SHOWERY PRECIPITATION...MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN UTAH. THE PRECIPITATION WILL WIND DOWN ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING AS THE INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LOW DECREASES AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHEAST. DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CASTLE COUNTRY AND PRONE AREAS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY THIS EVENING...WITH A FAVORABLE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT...COLD ADVECTION AT 700 MB...AND NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ACROSS WASHINGTON COUNTY. WINDS WILL PERSIST INTO THE MORNING HOURS...BUT WILL REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS. A WARMING...DRYING TREND WILL BRING MILD WEATHER TO THE FORECAST AREA THIS WEEKEND...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY 5 TO 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. HIGH CLOUDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A SYSTEM THAT WILL IMPACT THE STATE MONDAY. .LONG TERM (AFTER 00Z TUESDAY)...THE GFS AND EC BOTH HAVE A SIGNIFICANT TROUGH MOVING INTO THE GREAT BASIN REGION MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY BUT THE DETAILS ARE NOT SO MUCH IN STEP. THE TIMING IS PRETTY MUCH IN UNISON ALTHOUGH THE GFS MAY BE A LITTLE FASTER. THE GFS HAS THE 700MB BAROCLINIC ZONE SPLIT INTO TWO SEGMENTS WITH THE LEADING ZONE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN UTAH MONDAY AFTERNOON WHILE THE SECOND BAROCLINIC ZONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD POOL ALOFT MOVES INTO NORTHERN UTAH ABOUT MIDNIGHT MONDAY NIGHT. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FIRST BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL STRETCH FROM THE UINTA BASIN TO CEDAR CITY BY MIDNIGHT. AS IT LOOKS NOW THERE WILL BE A HEALTHY BAND OF PRECIP WITH THE LEADING BAROCLINC ZONE WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND RAIN IN THE VALLEYS. WHEN THE SECOND BAROCLINIC ZONE MOVES THROUGH THIS WILL BRING SNOW LEVELS TO THE VALLEY FLOOR MONDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND THE WEST CENTRAL VALLEYS. THE EC SPREADS THE PRECIPITATION OUT EVENLY DURING THIS PERIOD AND IT ALSO BRINGS COLD ENOUGH 700 MB TEMPS FOR SNOW TO THE VALLEY FLOOR AS WELL. THE TREND OF THE MODELS WITH THIS TROUGH IS A LITTLE STRONGER AND FARTHER SOUTH BUT STILL THE EXTREME SOUTH APPEARS TO REMAIN DRY DUE TO DOWNSLOPING NORTHERLY WINDS. THIS WILL BRING TEMPERATURES BELOW NORMAL FOR NORTHERN UTAH FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BUT THEY SHOULD BOUNCE RIGHT BACK UP TO ABOVE NORMAL WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. HOWEVER THERE IS ONE FLY IN THE OINTMENT FOR LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS ENERGY THAT HAS DROPPED INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROUGH MAY END UP CREATING A CLOSED LOW OVER THE SOUTHWEST NEAR LAS VEGAS. THE EC KEEPS IT AS AN OPEN WAVE AND TREKS IT SOUTHEAST ACROSS ARIZONA. HOWEVER IF THE GFS IS RIGHT THEN THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR AT LEAST MOUNTAIN SHOWERS OVER SOUTHERN UTAH THURSDAY. HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE EC SOLUTION FOR NOW AS THE TREND HAS BEEN FOR PROGRESSIVENESS IN THE PATTERN WHICH WOULD PREVENT THE LOW FROM CLOSING OFF. && .AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT THE SLC TERMINAL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. NORTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON ARE LIKELY TO BECOME MORE NORTHERLY THIS EVENING. ALTHOUGH THE WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO THE SOUTHEAST UNTIL ABOUT 07-08Z...THERE IS A 20 PERCENT CHANCE THEY WILL SHIFT AS EARLY AS 04-05Z. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...NONE. WY...NONE. && PUBLIC...HOSENFELD AVIATION...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...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 739 AM MST FRI MAR 7 2014 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-081445- 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- 739 AM MST FRI MAR 7 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LINGERING STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. ANY ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL REMAIN LIGHT...AND GENERALLY CONFINED TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY HIGH PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE REGION FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND BRINGING A WARMING AND DRYING TREND AREAWIDE. THE NEXT PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE OUTLOOK AREA IS EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE OUTLOOK AREA. PRECIPITATION IN THE VALLEYS IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AS RAIN MONDAY...BUT MAY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW TUESDAY AS COLDER AIR SPREADS INTO THE AREA. .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 ROAD TRAVEL IMPACTS VISIT... HTTP://WWW.UDOTTRAFFIC.UTAH.GOV/ROADWEATHERFORECAST.ASPX
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
115 PM MST FRI MAR 7 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1000 AM NON-TSTM WND GST SNOWBASIN 41.19N 111.87W
03/06/2014 M58 MPH WEBER UT MESONET
SNOWBASIN-STRAW TOP - 8999 FT
1100 AM NON-TSTM WND GST BRIGHTON 40.61N 111.54W
03/06/2014 M58 MPH SUMMIT UT MESONET
PARK CITY - JUPITER - 10024 FT
0500 AM SNOW POWDER MTN 41.36N 111.71W
03/07/2014 M2.0 INCH WEBER UT OFFICIAL NWS OB
POWDER MOUNTAIN - 0 FT
0409 AM SNOW ALTA 40.59N 111.64W
03/07/2014 M4.0 INCH SALT LAKE UT TRAINED SPOTTER
ALTA UDOT - 8799 FT
0413 AM SNOW BRIGHTON 40.62N 111.59W
03/07/2014 M4.0 INCH SALT LAKE UT TRAINED SPOTTER
SOLITUDE - 8200 FT
0430 AM SNOW ALTA 40.58N 111.64W
03/07/2014 M5.0 INCH SALT LAKE UT MESONET
ALTA - COLLINS - 9662 FT
0440 AM SNOW PARK CITY 40.66N 111.57W
03/07/2014 M4.0 INCH SUMMIT UT TRAINED SPOTTER
THE CANYONS - 8800 FT
0535 AM SNOW BRIGHTON 40.64N 111.64W
03/07/2014 M2.0 INCH SALT LAKE UT TRAINED SPOTTER
BIG COTTONWOOD SPRUCES - 7402 FT
0600 AM SNOW ALTA 40.57N 111.65W
03/07/2014 M4.0 INCH SALT LAKE UT TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOWBIRD - 8100 FT
0610 AM SNOW PARK CITY 40.61N 111.54W
03/07/2014 M3.0 INCH SUMMIT UT TRAINED SPOTTER
PARK CITY SUMMIT - 9300 FT
0646 AM SNOW BRIGHTON 40.59N 111.58W
03/07/2014 M5.0 INCH SALT LAKE UT TRAINED SPOTTER
BRIGHTON CREST - 9500 FT
0829 AM SNOW FAIRVIEW 39.64N 111.33W
03/07/2014 M5.2 INCH SANPETE UT MESONET
0829 AM SNOW SOLDIER SUMMIT 39.93N 111.08W
03/07/2014 M4.0 INCH UTAH UT MESONET
&&1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
Two brothers were snowmobiling in the Uinta Mountains, on a popular slope in Gold Hill Basin. One of them, a 39-year-old male, triggered an avalanche, which caught, carried, and buried him several feet deep in snow. The other brother was able to dig him out and attempt CPR, but the victim was pronounced dead 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, Western Uinta Mountains | 2014-03-07 | 39 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, March 2014
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: 509004.