A lake effect snow band brought significant snowfall accumulations to the Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Mountains. Other valleys across Utah also received heavy snowfall with the initial storm system.
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 lake effect snow band brought significant snowfall accumulations to the Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Mountains. Other valleys across Utah also received heavy snowfall with the initial storm system.
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 12, 7:32 PM MST, 6 hours 58 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
832 PM MDT Tue Mar 12 2019
.SYNOPSIS...A cold pacific trough will cross the area tonight
through Wednesday night with accumulating snow to the valley
floors along the I-15 corridor. High pressure will build in late
week bringing a more prolonged stretch of dry and increasingly
mild weather.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Complex pattern taking shape as the upstream trough begins to
phase with the Arizona storm as it moves into the Plains later
tonight and tomorrow. Strong height falls will overspread the
region tonight with precipitation filling in. Soundings indicate
precipitation will start as rain or rain/snow in valleys before
switching to all snow late tonight into tomorrow as the colder
airmass moves in. Impacts are expected for the morning commute,
especially where Advisories are in effect. Davis County benches
may also see local impacts late tonight into tomorrow morning. The
most significant snow through tomorrow morning is expected from
Nephi to Cedar City as northwest flow develops with the cold
frontal passage. Warm roads/warming soil due to greater solar
insolation this time of year should help mitigate impacts most
locations, especially by mid morning.
Winds are also a concern. Have upgraded Castle Country and areas
near Fremont Junction on I-70 to a High Wind Warning. Given the
pressure gradient and tendency, cold advection and strong critical
layer near ridgetop level per HRRR BUFKIT forecast soundings,
ingredients are in place for a High Wind event. Locally high
winds also possible with downsloping near Wendover and along
SR-30. Portions of the western Uinta Basin may see Advisory level
winds with downsloping as well, though confidence not high enough
for a headline at this time.
While there is some thunder (mainly embedded) upstream, did not
feel that it would be widespread enough to add a mention to the
forecast at this time. Instability wanes with loss of diurnal
heating, though lapse rates may remain supportive of local
thunder.
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
Beginning to see the initial stages of two western CONUS troughs
phasing overhead, this as a desert southwest closed low over AZ
has shown signs of filling while advecting modest sub-trop north
into the eastern third of the area...while a deeper and sharpening
northern branch trough has progressed into the northern Great
Basin region allowing heights to fall between the col of the two
(over western UT). Showery precip from the former will continue to
shift farther north to the UT/WY border beneath a still
developmental shear axis this eve, while western areas along the
I-15 corridor will see an uptick in steadier and at times moderate
snow to valley levels with passage of the leading edge cold front
later tonight from the latter. Thereafter a moist unstable
cyclonic N-NW flow will remain in place into early Thursday in
response to impressive front range cyclogenesis downstream, this
providing a continuation of snow at times along the I-15 corridor
and adjacent mtns (primarily Salt Lake City and points south to
Cedar City), increasingly orographic with time.
Frontogenic forcing coincident with passage of the primary
northern branch short wave looks to peg central and south-central
Utah during the latter half of the night tonight. Expecting the
area of greatest concern to focus between Scipio and Beaver along
I-15 with a combination of locally heavy snow and blowing snow,
as rates could approach 1 in/hr and post frontal gusts could
approach 55 mph due to rapid pressure rises upstream and strong H7
flow (40-45kts). Less concern exists for the Wasatch Front metro
area, as rates look to be less and mitigation efforts should
largely handle bench/structure accumulations per UDOT
collaboration. Winter driving conditions (some slush) and reduced
visibilities will still be occurring during morning commute from
Davis County south however. Sunrise will limit additional road
accums to the higher passes/canyons of the Wasatch/central/southern
mtns.
Again, this secondary trough will primarily impact western Utah,
adjacent mountains, but also southwest Wyoming largely east of
Evanston within prolonged moist upslope flow (banking against the
north slope of the Uintas), and increasing upglide due to the
downstream cyclogenesis. Winter weather advisories remain in place
for all these areas and continue to look solid. Driving I-80 in
southwest Wyoming Wednesday doesn't however...snow and blowing
snow...hazardous.
The post frontal environment downwind of the GSL remains somewhat
of a crapshoot, but bench areas of Tooele/Salt lake will likely
see the greatest valley totals locally. Enhanced convection
downwind of the lake later Wednesday through the night the
thought behind this...but pulling away from any prolonged lake
effect banding due to fairly significant shear with height, both
directional and speed. Will continue to monitor this moving
forward.
Western valley winds have been mentioned, but downsloping
conditions across the portions of Castle Country look to see
similar if not stronger gusts (especially SR-10 south of Price)
due to breaking wave potential. Advisories remain in place for
more info, and the potential for a few warning level gusts exist.
Come Thursday heights will begin to build in from the west
gradually squelching the remnant orographic snow showers, this as
the first significant western CONUS ridge amplifies over the
areas. Temps will remain some 10 degrees cooler than norm
Thursday, but the warming trend will begin Friday under clearing
skies and stable conditions.
A longwave ridge will become established across the region
throughout the long term period, maintaining a dry forecast.
Temperatures near climo Saturday should slowly warm to several
degrees above climo by early next week.
&&
.AVIATION...
VFR conditions and light northwest winds are in place at the
KSLC terminal this evening. Northwest winds will increase after
06z with a cold frontal passage. MVFR conditions in snow will
develop between 06z and 08z with periods of IFR possible through
late morning.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 10 PM MDT Wednesday for UTZ019-020.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT Thursday for UTZ003-
008>010.
Wind Advisory until 6 PM MDT Wednesday for UTZ005-015-016.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 PM MDT Wednesday for UTZ004-015-
016-517-518.
High Wind Warning from 4 AM to 10 PM MDT Wednesday for UTZ012-
013.
WY...Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM MDT Thursday for WYZ021.
&&
PUBLIC...10/Merrill/Seaman
AVIATION...10
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.php9 heavy snow, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The I-80 @ mp 1 sensor recorded a peak wind gust of 72 mph and the I-80 at MP 2 Tripod sensor recorded a peak wind gust of 67 mph. Additional reports included 66 mph at Wendover Port of Entry and 60 mph at Wendover Airport.
Storm total snowfall amounts included 9 inches in Logan, 8 inches in Smithfield and Hyde Park, and 4 inches in Richmond.
Storm total snowfall amounts included 7 inches in Bountiful, 5 inches in North Salt Lake, and 4 inches in southeast Bountiful.
Significant snowfall occurred across the Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys. Storm total accumulations included 19 inches in Tooele, 17 inches in Sandy, 16 inches in Cottonwood Heights, 13 inches in Millcreek, 11 inches on the West Jordan Bench, 9 inches in Taylorsville and Herriman, 8 inches in Salt Lake City, and 7 inches in West Jordan, Sugarhouse, and Murray.
Significant snowfall occurred across the Wasatch Mountains. Storm total accumulations included 32 inches at Alta Ski Area, 20 inches in the SunCrest neighborhood, 15 inches at the Big Cottonwod Spruces observation location, 14 inches at Brighton Resort, and 13 inches at Solitude Mountain Resort.
Heavy snowfall occurred across the Wasatch Mountains north of I-80, with storm total accumulations including 14 inches at Power Mountain.
Heavy snowfall occurred across northern Utah County, with 7 inches of snow being reported in Lehi.
Heavy snowfall occurred across the northern San Rafael Swell. A storm total accumulation of 6 inches was reported at the Hans Flat Ranger Station.
Storm total snowfall amounts included 12 inches in Kanosh, 9 inches in Fillmore, and 4 inches in Oak City.
Storm total snowfall amounts included 7 inches in Cedar City, and 2 inches in Beaver and New Harmony.
Peak wind gust of 66 mph at Fremont Junction.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, March 2019
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: 897619, 816009, 816010, 816012, 816013, 816014, 816015, 816017, 816018, 816019, 897620.