A strong Pacific cold front moved across Utah on March 6, with gusty winds observed both ahead of and behind the front.
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 strong Pacific cold front moved across Utah on March 6, with gusty winds observed both ahead of and behind the front.
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 5, 6:37 PM MST, 9 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT
637 PM MST SAT MAR 5 2016
.UPDATE...
&&
.SYNOPSIS...A MOIST PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL REACH THE WEST COAST
TONIGHT...THEN TRACK EAST ACROSS THE GREAT BASIN SUNDAY THROUGH
EARLY MONDAY. A COOL AND SOMEWHAT MOIST AIR MASS WILL REMAIN OVER THE
REGION THROUGH MIDWEEK.
&&
.UPDATE DISCUSSION...SHORTWAVE NOTICEABLE ON WATER VAPOR SATELLITE
OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA LATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO
SOUTHWEST UTAH THIS EVENING. ALL MODELS SHOW SOME ORGANIZED LIFT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ENTRANCE REGION TO A JET PEELING OFF FROM
CENTRAL UTAH INTO COLORADO AS WELL AS SOME 500 MB VORTICITY
ADVECTION. AS A RESULT HAVE BOOSTED ISOLATED SHOWERS TO SCATTERED
SHOWERS FOR THIS EVENING AS WELL AS AFTER MIDNIGHT IN MOST
SOUTHERN ZONES SAVE DIXIE WHICH SHOULD BE IN THE WAKE OF THE
SHORTWAVE AFTER MIDNIGHT SO KEPT THEM AS ISOLATED.
ALSO INCREASED CLOUD COVERAGE ACROSS MOST OF THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
THE FORECAST FOR THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD.
.SHORT TERM (THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY)...SOUTHWEST FLOW REMAINS IN
PLACE OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AS A TROUGH CONTINUES TO APPROACH
THE WEST COAST. LOCALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE IN PLACE AS WINDS
ALOFT MIXED DOWN...WHICH ALLOWED FOR WARM TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN
THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...CLOUDS HAVE THINNED IN THE WAKE OF THE
WEAK DISTURBANCE THAT CROSSED NORTHERN UTAH EARLIER TODAY.
WEAK RIPPLES IN THE FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO CROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND
TOMORROW AS DEEPER MOISTURE PENETRATES THE SOUTHERN END OF THE
SIERRA NEVADA AND SPREADS INTO UTAH. THIS WILL BRING AN INCREASING
TREND IN SHOWER ACTIVITY LATER TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING. SOUTH
TO SOUTHWEST FACING SLOPES WILL BE FAVORED DURING THIS TIME. SNOW
LEVELS ABOVE 8000FT COULD FALL TO 7-7.5KFT TOMORROW MORNING. WINDS
WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AS THE AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH APPROACHES THE
AREA. HOWEVER...MODELS SUGGEST THAT H7 WINDS DO NOT EXCEED 35KT
UNTIL AROUND 6Z...AROUND THE TIME THAT THE SURFACE GRADIENT STARTS
TO TIGHTEN. IN ADDITION...THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER
06Z WHICH WILL AID IN DOWNWARD MOMENTUM TRANSFER. THEREFORE...HAVE
PUSHED THE START TIME OF THE WIND ADVISORY BACK TO MIDNIGHT.
THE TROUGH WILL SPLIT AS IT MAKES ITS WAY INLAND. ALTHOUGH THIS WILL
LEAD TO A WEAKENING TREND OF THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT...IT REMAINS
ENERGETIC ENOUGH WITH GOOD BAROCLINIC STRUCTURE TO RESULT IN A
DECENT FRONTAL BAND ACROSS UTAH TOMORROW AFTERNOON/EVENING. MODELS
DO INDICATE THAT SOME OF THE MOISTURE THAT SPREADS INTO THE AREA
TONIGHT WILL SHIFT EAST BY THE TIME THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH.
HOWEVER...LINGERING MOISTURE WILL WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
FRONTAL DYNAMICS TO BRING BRIEFLY INTENSE PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA.
THIS IS AIDED BY CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY WHICH SHOULD BOOST
PRECIPITATION RATES AND ALSO DRAG SNOW LEVELS DOWN. AS A
RESULT...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO REACH SOME OF THE VALLEY FLOORS BUT AT
THIS TIME IT IS NOT EXPECTED TO LAST LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE MUCH IN
THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION ESPECIALLY GIVEN WARM SURFACE TEMPERATURES.
HOWEVER...MOUNTAINS WILL SEE GREATER ACCUMULATIONS WITH LONGER
DURATION SNOWFALL AS TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO COOL ALOFT INTO THE
NIGHTTIME HOURS. HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ALL
MOUNTAIN ZONES.
A SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA BRIEFLY FOR MONDAY. THE
NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL THEN MOVE INLAND...BUT WILL SPLIT HARD WITH
THE SOUTHERN BRANCH WAVE HEADING INTO MEXICO. MAY SEE SPOTTY LIGHT
SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...OTHERWISE UTAH WILL REMAIN
ON THE DRY SIDE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WITH THIS STORM
WILL BE TUESDAY OVER MAINLY NORTHERN UTAH AS THE NORTHERN BRANCH
WAVE CROSS THE AREA...BUT EVEN THEN PRECIPITATION WILL BE FAIRLY
LIGHT. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TOWARDS CLIMO FOR MONDAY
AND TUESDAY.
.LONG TERM (AFTER 00Z WED)...LARGE SCALE PATTERN TO BEGIN THE LONG
TERM PERIOD WILL TRANSITION TO A NEAR ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE EASTERN
PACIFIC /AS THE THEN NEXT GULF OF AK TROUGH DEVELOPS/...WITH THE
PREVIOUS CLOSED LOW REMAINING OVER NORTHERN MEXICO. PLUME OF MODEST
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FLOW INTRUDING FROM THE PACIFIC IS
ANTICIPATED TO ADVECT INLAND...AND COINCIDENT WITH BUILDING HEIGHTS
LOCALLY AS THE CLOSED LOW DIGS FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST...LOOKS TO
ALLOW A ZONE OF WAA TO PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT FOR SHOWERS ACROSS THE
NORTH WEDNESDAY. IN WAKE OF THIS GLOBALS AGREE A DRY SOUTHWESTERLY
FLOW ALOFT WILL DOMINATE THE LOCAL AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE
WEEK...THIS ALLOWING ANOTHER ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT WARMING AND DRY
CONDITIONS WHILE THE PERSISTENT PACNW LONG WAVE TROUGH REMAINS
SPINNING OFF SHORE.
A DEVELOPING SHORT WAVE ROTATING OUT OF THIS PERSISTENT LONG WAVE
TROUGH WILL TRANSLATE EAST INTO THE WESTERN CONUS BY NEXT
WEEKEND...THOUGH GLOBALS SUGGEST A STRONG SPLIT AS IT COMES ON
SHORE. REGARDLESS...THE NEXT POTENTIAL WEATHER EVENT LOOKS TO OCCUR
IN THE FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY TIME FRAME. GLOBAL MODEL CONSISTENCY
RUN TO RUN HAVE BEEN FLUCTUATING REGARDING TIMING AND EXTENT OF
SPLIT...SO DETAILS AT THIS TIME REMAIN MODEST AT BEST. OPTED TO
INTRODUCE HIGHEST POTENTIAL IN THE FRIDAY NIGHT PERIOD COINCIDENT
WITH 12Z GUIDANCE.
&&
.AVIATION...NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST AT THE KSLC
TERMINAL THROUGH 03-04Z. SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
INCREASE TONIGHT...BECOMING INCREASINGLY GUSTY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
TOMORROW MORNING. WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH ARE LIKELY
TOMORROW. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THE TERMINAL IN THE 21-22Z
TIME FRAME TOMORROW BRINGING GUSTY NW WINDS AND RAIN CHANGING TO
SNOW AND CIGS BELOW 6000FT AGL.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 3 AM SUNDAY TO 5 AM MST MONDAY FOR
UTZ007>010-517-518.
WIND ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM MST SUNDAY FOR
UTZ003-005-015-016.
WY...NONE.
&&
PUBLIC...STRUTHWOLF
AVIATION...KRUSE
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 848 PM MST SAT MAR 5 2016 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-061400- 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- 848 PM MST SAT MAR 5 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE WESTERN VALLEYS OF UTAH TONIGHT...WITH STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM ADVANCING TOWARD UTAH WILL PUSH A STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS THE STATE ON SUNDAY. VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL SWITCH TO THE NORTHWEST AND REMAIN QUITE STRONG BEHIND THE FRONT UNTIL EARLY SUNDAY EVENING. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY EVENING. A FEW OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF GENERATING STRONG WINDS AND A SHORT PERIOD OF INTENSE RAIN AND OR SNOW. AREAS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS COULD SEE SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY EVENING. AREAS MOST PRONE TO HEAVY SNOW INCLUDE THE WASATCH RANGE AND THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. SEVERAL INCHES OF NEW SNOW ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. ADJACENT VALLEY LOCATIONS WILL SEE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW..THOUGH LITTLE ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED IN THE VALLEYS. A COOL AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL REMAIN ACROSS MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH MIDWEEK. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT RETURNING LATE IN THE WORK WEEK WILL BRING A WARMING TREND TO THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK 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
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Peak recorded wind gusts in the Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys included 61 mph at Vernon Hill and 59 mph in Draper.
The US-6 at Eureka sensor recorded a peak wind gust of 63 mph, while the Fillmore Airport reported a maximum gust of 60 mph.
Peak recorded wind gusts included 68 mph at Lakeside Mountain, 65 mph at Upper Cedar Mountain, 61 mph at the I-80 at Grassey sensor, 61 mph at Camel Back Mountain, 60 mph at Hat Island, and many other recorded gusts in the 50-60 mph range.
A maximum wind gust of 60 mph was recorded at the Bullfrog Marina.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, March 2016
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: 626217, 626220, 626219, 626221.