Wind gusts exceeding 50 mph were recorded across portions of southern Utah. Gusty outflow winds from showers and thunderstorms were recorded throughout various portions of Utah.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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.
Wind gusts exceeding 50 mph were recorded across portions of southern Utah. Gusty outflow winds from showers and thunderstorms were recorded throughout various portions 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 Jun 18, 3:41 AM MST, 8 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
441 AM MDT Sun Jun 18 2023
.SYNOPSIS...A strong, cold Pacific system will bring windy
conditions to much of the region through Monday...and much colder
temperatures by Tuesday. A gradual warming and drying trend is
expected later in the week.
&&
.SHORT TERM (Through 12Z Tuesday)...The unsettled weather of the
last few weeks will continue through the short term period...with
an anomalously cold Pacific trough crossing into the northern
Rockies through Tuesday morning.
Morning upper air and satellite analysis indicates the upper level
low associated with this longwave trough nearing the Olympic
Peninsula. A strong upper level jet max...particularly for mid to
late June...is evident, with broad upper level diffluence across
the northern Rockies.
As the upper level low and longwave trough gradually shift south
and east today, the initial cold front will shift into far
northwestern Utah this afternoon. Some portion of the CAMS
envelope indicate synoptic-scale lift may be sufficient for
convection to develop near and ahead of this boundary across
northern Utah. Deep layer shear is more than sufficient for
organized convection, with values near to greater than 50kts. The
main question is whether there will be sufficient instability.
HREF ensemble mean SBCAPE ranges from around 250 to maybe 500 J/kg
mainly from the Wasatch Front and east. The 06Z NAM NEST shifts
relatively weak convection into this area of relatively higher
instability and develops relatively strong convection. The other
main CAMS are not showing quite this morphology...but this is
something to be monitored today.
With strong mid-level flow over much of the region, expect gusty
winds to be the rule across much of Utah today. The core of the
strongest mid-level winds is from roughly Cedar City northeastward
to Evanston...and this is reflected in the going wind advisories.
A small portion of the guidance indicates these strong winds may
surface further north into the Tooele and Salt Lake Valleys...so
this is another thing to monitor through the day today. Added the
eastern Millard and Juab County zone to the advisory given very
strong mid-level flow as well as a significant portion of the
guidance envelope suggesting winds will exceed advisory criteria
in portions of this zone. Already seeing reports of wind gusts at
or above 40 mph near Scipio Summit.
A note to those considering outdoor activities along exposed
ridgelines today. Much like in the cool season, exposed ridgelines
will see very strong winds today. Locations like Mount Baldy and
Hidden Peak (central Wasatch) are already seeing wind gusts near
to over 50 mph and anticipate this increasing with time. Be
careful out there!
The initial cold front will weaken overnight tonight across
northwestern Utah, becoming diffuse and difficult to discern. As
the upper level trough digs southeastward and intensifies over the
Pacific Northwest Monday, a much stronger cold front will cross
into northwestern Utah Monday afternoon. With strong mid-level
flow ahead of this boundary, stronger winds are expected region-
wide Monday afternoon and evening. The core of the strongest winds
will be in the same area as Sunday...from roughly Cedar City to
Evanston. Looking at the guidance, roughly 30-40% of the guidance
envelope would support wind gusts in excess of 58 mph across
mainly west central and southwest Utah...and perhaps the Tooele
Valley. Based on this, did not upgrade the high wind watch. Will
let the day shift get the full event into the full high resolution
model suite...though the HRRR which is typically bullish with
forecast wind gusts in these events is sub-warning level.
As the cold front crosses through the region, expect a broad area
of moderate rain (and even mountain snow) through Monday afternoon
into Tuesday morning.
.LONG TERM (After 12Z Tuesday)...Tuesday will feature remnant
gusty winds across eastern valleys, with a chance for morning rain
showers across northern UT and southwest WY. Following this
system, expect a warming and drying trend across the area.
A few lingering showers are possible across northern areas
Tuesday morning, with adequate moisture still in place. A dry air
mass moving in behind the cold front will cut off rain showers
late morning, with only a few isolated showers possible across the
Uintas in the afternoon. While western portions of the area will
see much calmer winds compared to Monday, eastern valleys may
still see gusty winds up to 30-40kts during the afternoon. The
Western Uinta Basin has a roughly 30-40% likelihood of reaching
39kts. Temperatures near 15-20 degrees below normal across the
north will feel more like early May, with H7 temperatures near +1C
to +3C. Southern Utah will see a slight cooldown, still 10
degrees below-normal.
The longwave trough over the western US is expected to gradually
weaken through the week, with a few embedded shortwaves pushing
across the Great Basin. However, with PWATs near the
climatological 10th percentile, no sensible weather is expected.
Instead, the rest of the week will remain dry with mainly clear
skies and broadly weaker southwesterly flow. Temperatures will
rebound, reaching just below normal by the weekend.
&&
.AVIATION...KSLC...Southerly winds will start to ramp up after
15z, gusting to 30kts after 18z. A period of northwest winds will
likely occur between 00-04z, though there is still a 15%
likelihood that winds stay south through the evening. Along with
this potential wind shift, expect isolated rain showers after
roughly 00-01z. Stronger southerly winds are in store for Monday
afternoon. VFR conditions will prevail.
.REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Expect strong, gusty
southwesterly winds across nearly all locations Sunday afternoon,
especially across western UT. A weak surface boundary will push in
from the northwest Sunday evening, only reaching KENV-KSLC-KEVW
and north. This will produce a period of northwest flow around
10-15kts, isolated rain showers, and even some thunder. This
boundary will recede Monday morning, giving way to more strong,
southwesterly flow. VFR conditions will prevail.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...An anomalously cold Pacific system will continue to
slowly cross the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies
through Tuesday. The associated cold front will cross the state
Monday afternoon into Tuesday. While much of the region will see
gusty winds, the strongest winds will be along a core of higher
winds from southwestern Utah to near Evanston, WY. This area will
likely see wind gusts in excess of 45 to 50 mph through tonight.
Another round of even stronger winds is expected Monday afternoon
and evening, with widespread wind gusts above 40 mph ahead of the
front. Again, the strongest core of winds from southwestern Utah
to Evanston may exceed 60 mph at times. Both Sunday and Monday,
the lowest humidities will be found across southern and eastern
Utah.
Ahead of the cold front this afternoon and evening, showers and
thunderstorms will be possible across northern Utah. Another round
of showers and thunderstorms will be possible ahead of the front
Monday afternoon and evening across northern Utah, with a more
broad area of moderate rain and even high elevation snow impacting
much of northern and central Utah late Monday afternoon into
Tuesday morning. Much cooler temperatures, more akin to late April
and early May, are expected Tuesday.
A pattern change is increasing in confidence later this week into
the weekend, with much of the longer range guidance indicating a
shift to broad high pressure across the Southwest, with odds
favoring below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures
(and thus lower humidities).
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...Wind Advisory from noon today to midnight MDT tonight for UTZ115-
116-122.
High Wind Watch from Monday morning through Monday evening for
UTZ115-122.
WY...None.
&&
Kruse/Cunningham
For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/saltlakecityThe Salt Lake City radar (KMTX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:00 UTC.
5 high wind, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust of 67 mph was recorded at the Vernon Hill mesonet site.
A wind gust of 67 mph was recorded at the Vernon Hill mesonet site.
A wind gust of 71 mph was recorded at the US-6 @ Eureka mesonet site.
A wind gust of 71 mph was recorded at the US-6 @ Eureka mesonet site.
A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded by the Milford Municipal Airport/Ben and Judy Briscoe Field ASOS.
A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded by the Milford Municipal Airport/Ben and Judy Briscoe Field ASOS.
A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded by the Delta Municipal Airport AWOS.
A wind gust of 59 mph was recorded by the Delta Municipal Airport AWOS.
A wind gust of 79 mph was recorded at the Cardiff Peak SNOTEL site. A wind gust of 78 mph occurred at the Central Wasatch Peaks site.
A wind gust of 79 mph was recorded at the Cardiff Peak SNOTEL site. A wind gust of 78 mph occurred at the Central Wasatch Peaks site.
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, June 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: 1111369, 1197541, 1111370, 1197542, 1111376, 1197543, 1111375, 1197544, 1111371, 1197545.