Thunderstorms formed ahead of an approaching cold front on May 24, and these storms produced widespread strong wind gusts due to a dry low-level airmass.
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The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
Thunderstorms formed ahead of an approaching cold front on May 24, and these storms produced widespread strong wind gusts due to a dry low-level airmass.
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 May 24, 2:39 PM MST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 339 PM MDT Wed May 24 2017 .SYNOPSIS...A cold front will sag south through northern Utah tonight prior to stalling over central Utah Thursday as an upper trough noses into the area. A secondary trough will move across the area Friday maintaining unsettled conditions into the first half of the holiday weekend. && .SHORT TERM (Through 12z Saturday)...MSAS mslp analysis places a cold front stretching from extreme NW Wyoming SE across central Idaho. Afternoon water vapor and H5 analysis indicates the core of the upper trough its tied to continues to deepen over southern Alberta. A short wave lobe developing along the western periphery of this trough will drop southeast into northern Utah driving this front south overnight prior to stalling across central portions of the area during the day tomorrow. Primary concern moving forward relates to pre-frontal convection attempting to take form attm. Mid level moisture continues to increase while advecting in from the SW coincident with the southern branch jet. Deep mixing combined with a very dry boundary layer continues to enhance an inverted-v signature in vertical profiles, and coupled with weak instability and modest shear (both greatest over the far north), do expect a continued uptick in cellular development into this evening. HRRR-3km continues to develop convection over eastern NV over the next few hours, then translates it ENE across the Wasatch Front periodically between 00-06z. Gusty microburst winds will be the primary threat, with some isolated severe speeds possible (especially west desert). Areal coverage of showers/convection is expected to increase through the middle of the night tied closely to the area of best baroclinicity shifting NW-SE across northern Utah/SW WY, prior to slowly phasing away towards dawn over central portions as the front stalls and trends more diffuse. With loss of upper support for the time being, any convection Thursday will likely remain isolated and once again tied to the remnant boundary, or sparked by diurnal influences over the mountains during the peak heating hours. Temps this afternoon have been the warmest yet thus far this warm season (KSLC just hit 89 F), but CAA in wake of frontal passage will cool the northern half of the area down to near normal levels over the next 24 hours. Gusty SW winds will remain south of the frontal boundary as well across the south tomorrow, but are expected to remain sub-advisory. The aforementioned northern rockies trough will continue to spin up through Friday, with another short wave lobe dropping into the area from the northwest during the day. Baroclinicity will once again tighten over the area, and coupled with modest upper forcing and diurnal trends do expect scattered convection to develop across the northern half of the area once again. Made minimal changes to PoPs as forecast trends remain on track. .LONG TERM (After 12z Saturday)...A mid level ridge is forecast to be the dominant weather feature through the majority of the forecast period. Initially this ridge will remain centered west of the forecast area along the west coast, as the last in a series of shortwave troughs exits the forecast area during the day Saturday. After this time, as the ridge axis slowly builds eastward, expect a warming trend through the latter half of the weekend into the middle part of next week. Lingering moisture will provide a small chance of afternoon and evening convection primarily along the terrain east of I-15. The long range models diverge a bit during the Wednesday/Thursday timeframe, with the GFS breaking down the ridge, while the EC holds onto a stronger ridging solution over the Great Basin. As such have held off on making any significant changes to the latter portion of the forecast period. && .AVIATION...Main concerns at KSLC this afternoon/evening will be the potential for strong (>30 kts.) erratic microburst winds...with these winds most likely between 23-03Z. Some lightning is also possible with these afternoon/evening storms but precipitation should be minimal. Away from storms VFR conditions and northwest winds should prevail through the period. && .FIRE WEATHER...Upper level storm system with attendant cold front continues to encroach on northern Utah this afternoon, with frontal zone passage anticipated to enter the far north later this evening. Isolated showers and storms are beginning to fire ahead of this front attm, and expect areal coverage to increase and peak by mid evening. High based nature of storms and very dry low levels will promote a gusty microburst threat across the northern third of the district this evening, and the middle third overnight coincident with the front. The frontal boundary will stall across central Utah Thursday maintaining in general an isolated shower/storm threat, but will then push south Friday across the remainder of the district with widely scattered showers/storms expected. Trends in RH will climb beginning tonight. Gusty southwesterly winds are expected to continue south of the front tomorrow, with some sites along the UT/AZ border region gusting at times around 30 mph in the afternoon. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...None. WY...None. && Merrill/Seaman/Carr For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity For frequently asked questions about the Area Forecast Discussion visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity/general/afd_faqs.php
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 246 AM MDT Wed May 24 2017 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-251400- 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- 246 AM MDT Wed May 24 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the western two thirds of Utah and southwest Wyoming. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms may contain strong and erratic winds this afternoon and evening. A number of waterways across the northern outlook area will see increasing flows as the snowmelt runoff accelerates today. Keep children and pets away from these dangerous fast flowing waterways. They will be rapidly swept away if they fall in. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Waterways will remain high, cold and swift into next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to standard operating procedures. Rogowski/Traphagan For more information from NOAA/s National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity For information on potential road travel impacts visit... http://www.udottraffic.utah.gov/roadweatherforecast.aspx
The Salt Lake City radar (KMTX), 150 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:40 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Callao Gate sensor in the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground mesonet recorded a peak wind gust of 70 mph.
A strong thunderstorm went through the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground mesonet, producing maximum recorded wind gusts of 73 mph at the Salt Flats sensor, 69 mph at the Target R sensor, 62 mph at North Salt Flats, and 59 mph at Causeway. A 68 mph wind gust was also recorded at the UDOT I-80 @ mp 78 sensor.
The UDOT I15/I215 SB sensor recorded a peak wind gust of 58 mph.
The Center Tailings sensor recorded a peak wind gust of 65 mph.
The SR-201 at I-80 sensor recorded a wind gust of 59 mph.
The UDOT I-80 @ mp 78 sensor recorded a maximum wind gust of 75 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, May 2017
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: 702543, 702539, 702545, 702544, 702547, 702548.