A late season winter weather event brought feet of snow accumulation to parts of Utah.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A late season winter weather event brought feet of snow accumulation to parts of Utah.
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 Apr 1, 4:12 AM MST, 3 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
512 AM MDT Sat Apr 1 2023
.SYNOPSIS...Warmer and dry conditions will last through Saturday.
A winter storm that will start early in the week will come with
gusty winds, rain, and snow.
&&
.DISCUSSION...A dry and relatively mild zonal flow has overspread
much of the Great Basin early this morning, downstream from a
shortwave trough making landfall along the Pacific Northwest
coast. As this wave moves inland today, low level southwesterly
flow will strengthen across the forecast area and result in
locally breezy conditions across the western valleys. This will
also aid in mixing this afternoon, allowing temperatures to reach
the upper 50s to potentially low 60s along the Wasatch Front, with
similar max temps across central/southern valleys as well.
The aforementioned shortwave trough will brush by northern Utah this
evening, pushing a shallow boundary southward into the forecast
area. Moisture accompanying the trailing low level baroclinic zone
will bring showers mainly north of I-80. Initially snow levels will
remain well above the valley floors, but will fall to the valley
floors after midnight across the Cache and northern Box Elder
Counties, resulting in a changeover to snow for these areas. Little
if any accumulation is expected through 12Z Sunday.
A broad longwave trough will be pushing inland from the PacNW
Sunday. Southwest Wyoming and Utah will be in zonal flow, closer
to shortwave energy to the north. Scattered showers, with valley
rain and snow and mountain snow are expected with that, primarily
for far northern Utah.
The low will dig southward into Monday near the Pacific coast. A
strong baroclinic zone will have entered northern Utah by Monday
morning. Upper diffluence east of the longwave trough and the
baroclinic zone will bring sufficient forcing for better
precipitation chances by Monday morning. Winds will transition to
northwest with cold air advection dropping snow levels below
valley floors throughout northern Utah. With that, Monday travel
impacts are nearly guaranteed in the higher elevations of northern
Utah, while valleys will mostly have transitioned to snow by the
morning commute. Snow rates will peak for most places during the
day on Monday as the baroclinc zone tracks from northwest to
southeast while transitioning from more of a west to east
orientation to a southwest to northeast orientation. With good
agreement from various guidance on snow accumulation meeting and
exceeding criteria, expanded the Winter Storm Watch to include
most Utah valleys, including those in the interstate corridor into
southwest Wyoming and throughout Utah.
Ensembles are in good agreement of the low strengthening, with
cyclogenesis taking place and a pivoting of the baroclinic zone.
There's uncertainty where precisely, but that would bring enhanced
synoptic lift and locally higher snow accumulations Monday.
Further south, a very good setup for gusty southwest winds will be
in place. All guidance points at winds meeting headline criteria
for portions of eastern and southeastern Utah. A High Wind Watch
was issued for that, with peak gusts Monday afternoon in that
portion of the state likely to exceed 65 mph.
The low will push into Utah Monday into Tuesday. The strongest
synoptic forcing will have exited by that point, with snow chances
tapering off in southern Utah. Snow will continue for much of
northern Utah, as strong lapse rates in a moist northwest flow
will last through the day. Confidence in snow accumulations is
lower, as various vorticity maxima and shortwaves will be more of
a factor, but locations that often receive enhanced snow in
northwest flow will likely receive the most accumulation.
Either record or near record cold temperatures are forecast
throughout southwest Wyoming and Utah Tuesday. Forecast high
temperatures slightly above freezing are 20-30 cooler than normal
for this point.
Remnant snow showers will last into Wednesday, as cyclonic flow
and more moist upslope flow will keep snow going in the northern
mountains. Precipitation is expected taper off into Wednesday.
Forecast confidence is much lower later in the week, as ensembles
have a lot of disagreement.
&&
.AVIATION...KSLC...VFR conditions with south winds will prevail
through this evening. Wind gusts may exceed 25 kts (45% chance)
between 16Z today and 02Z this evening.
.REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...VFR conditions will
prevail at all TAF sites through this evening. Gusty south to
southwest winds can be expected this afternoon and early evening. A
weak cold front may bring periods of MVFR to IFR conditions along
the Idaho border late this evening into tonight.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...Winter Storm Watch from late Sunday night through Tuesday
afternoon for UTZ101>109.
Winter Storm Watch from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday
afternoon for UTZ110>112.
Winter Storm Watch from Monday morning through Tuesday afternoon
for UTZ113-115>118.
High Wind Watch from Monday morning through Monday evening for
UTZ121-128-130-131.
Winter Storm Watch from Monday afternoon through late Monday
night for UTZ122-125.
WY...Winter Storm Watch from late Sunday night through Tuesday
afternoon for WYZ021.
&&
Wilson/Seaman
For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/saltlakecityThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
17 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Several SNOTEL stations including Dry Fork, Rocky Basin, Beavans Cabin, Miners Fork, and George Creek recorded 1.5 to 3.6 inches of snow water equivalent, resulting in approximately 20 to 40 inches of snow.
An NWS employee reported snowfall accumulation of 8.3 inches at Tooele.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 15.4 inches at Brigham City.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 28.0 inches at Bountiful, 24.3 inches at Fruit Heights, 21.0 inches at Kaysville, 20.9 inches at South Weber, and 19.7 inches at Northeast Ogden Bench.
On the morning of the 3rd, about 3600 customers were without power due to heavy snow bringing down tree limbs and power lines near Farmington. A transmission line was also downed.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 28.6 inches at Sandy, 19.0 inches at Magna, 19.0 inches at West Jordan, 17.5 inches at Holladay. At Salt Lake City International Airport, snowfall totaled 14.8 inches.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 20.0 inches at Springville, 18.7 inches at Alpine, 14.0 inches at Spanish Fork Power House, 12.0 inches at Santaquin Chlorinator, and 10.0 inches at Lehi.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 31.0 inches at Smithfield, 28.6 inches at Providence, 25.6 inches at Utah State University in Logan, 22.0 inches at Hyrum, and 15.2 inches at Wellsville.
A snowfall accumulation of 15.3 inches with 0.83 inches of snow water equivalent was observed at Wanship. Other snowfall observations include 12.8 inches with 0.76 inches of snow water equivalent at Oakley and 12.5 inches with 0.92 inches of snow water equivalent at Eden-Liberty. Three structural collapses occurred on April 3 in Park City. The first involved a garage, the second was a chimney, and the third was related to the home.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 24.6 inches at Laketown and 23.0 inches at Randolph.
Snowfall accumulation of 51.0 inches with 3.46 inches of snow water equivalent was observed at Snowbasin Resort. Other snowfall accumulations include 48.0 inches with 2.86 inches of snow water equivalent at Powder Mountain, 45.0 inches at Summit Park, 39.7 inches with 2.31 inches of snow water equivalent at Mantua, and 35.0 inches with 1.87 inches of snow water equivalent at Mountain Dell Dam.
Snowfall accumulation of 67.0 inches with 3.59 inches of snow water equivalent was observed at Alta Ski Area. Other snowfall accumulations include 51.0 inches with 2.55 inches of snow water equivalent at Canyons Village at Park City, 35.0 inches with 2.01 inches of snow water equivalent at Brighton Resort, and 26.0 inches with 1.82 inches of snow water equivalent at Solitude Mountain Resort.
State Route 210 (Little Cottonwood Canyon Road) was closed for 2 full days from the 3rd through the 4th for avalanche control. Alta Ski Area closed on the 4th with a full interlodge in effect. State Route 190 (Big Cottonwood Canyon Road) was closed for a natural avalanche/vehicle near miss on the 3rd, and then was closed on the morning of the 4th for avalanche control.
Several SNOTEL stations including Chalk Creek #1, Spirit Lake, Redden Mine Lwr, Chalk Creek #2, and Hole-in-rock recorded 2.0 to 2.8 inches of snow water equivalent, resulting in approximately 25 to 40 inches of snow.
Several SNOWTEL stations, including Huntington Horse, Strawberry Divide, Hobble Creek, Mammoth-cottonwood, and Daniels-strawberry recorded 1.2 to 2.0 inches of snow water equivalent, resulting in approximately 15 to 25 inches of snowfall accumulation.
State Route 31 was closed from milepost 9 to milepost 33 due to inclement weather.
Several SNOTEL stations, including Rees Flat, Pine Creek, Oak Creek, Beaver Dams, and Farnsworth Lake recorded snow water equivalent of 1.6 to 3.3 inches, resulting in approximately 20 to 40 inches of snowfall accumulation.
State Route 25 was closed from milepost 0 to milepost 9 due to inclement weather.
Interest 15 was closed near Scipio for a semitrailer rollover accident on the 4th.
COOP observer reports included snowfall accumulation of 10.8 inches in Cedar City.
On the 3rd, at around 3:30 p.m., the Utah Department of Transportation reported the northbound lanes of Intereste 15 were closed at milepost 112, a few miles north of Beaver, due to multiple accidents from inclement weather. One lane reopened at 4:45 p.m., with a full reopen by 6 p.m.
Several SNOTEL stations, including Brian Head, Kolob, Kimberly Mine, Midway Valley, and Squaw Springs recorded snow water equivalent of 0.8 to 1.2 inches, resulting in approximately 12 to 16 inches of snowfall accumulation.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, April 2023
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: 1094980, 1094981, 1094982, 1094983, 1094988, 1094990, 1095329, 1095330, 1095331, 1095335, 1095337, 1095339, 1095835, 1095836, 1095879, 1095837, 1095838.