An early May system resulted in numerous thunderstorm wind gusts throughout Utah.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
An early May system resulted in numerous thunderstorm wind gusts throughout 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 May 3, 2:22 PM MST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 322 PM MDT Wed May 3 2023 .SYNOPSIS...As a California low pressure system slowly makes its way through the area Thursday through the weekend, unsettled conditions will prevail with temperatures closer to normal for this time of year. && .SHORT TERM (Through 12Z/6AM Friday)...As of early Wednesday afternoon, an area of low pressure could be seen off of the central California coast. Associated upper diffluence coupled with mid level warm advection and the presence of a modest shortwave have aided in the development of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms from the west desert down through southwest Utah. Given favorable DCAPE values and modest profiles supportive of hail, main threats with this activity will be gusty outflow winds and modestly severe hail. CAMs suggest this activity will gradually propagate northward through the evening, and the axis of highest probability of gusty outflow winds will shift northward into Dugway in kind, per the latest HREF. This activity is then expected to continue shifting northward while weakening through the evening. On Thursday, latest model consensus suggests the area of low pressure will gradually shift eastward across southern Nevada before swinging across northern Nevada and NW Utah Thursday night. Initial round of showers associated with this incoming low are expected to develop from northern Utah stretching south across the eastern valleys around sunrise Thursday morning. This activity then becomes increasingly convective by Thursday afternoon thanks to gradual destabilization. CAMs then suggest another area of showers and thunderstorms will develop across SW Utah through the west deserts by afternoon, a very similar area to what we're seeing this afternoon. Primary hazards once again appear to be marginally severe hail and gusty and erratic winds. Latest HREF suggets a slightly higher probability for gusts greater than 30kts across the west deserts and Dugway, with the eastern edge of the highest probabilities just west of the I-15 corridor from the Northern Wasatch Front south through Cedar City. Ensemble consensus QPF is centered over the Uintas, Northern Wasatch and Raft River range, where 0.50'-1.00" of precipitation is favored. .LONG TERM (After 12Z/6AM Friday)...Cool, wet, and unsettled weather will be the main story of the weekend through early next week as a mean longwave trough dominates the Western CONUS. Another ejecting shortwave trough will push through the eastern Great Basin region on Friday, bringing a period of weak lift and instability over the area. While no strong forcing from a lower level front will be present, the lower level moisture combined with mid-level instability will be enough to kick off some isolated to scattered showers over the high terrain and adjacent valley areas across Utah and southwest Wyoming. Model forecast MUCAPE values around 200-250 J/kg/K are expected by Friday afternoon and early evening, meaning that a few rumbles of thunder should be able to mix in with these showers. In addition to these showers and isolated thunderstorms, much cooler low level temperatures will be maintained and allow for daytime high temperatures to drop by another 2-5 degrees across the northern two-thirds of the area. Snow levels will drop to ~6500ft initially, however, as daytime heating becomes more prevalent, snow levels will increase to ~7500ft... allowing only the higher elevations to see any sort of frozen precipitation. By Saturday, weak subsidence will traverse the region early in the morning, acting to suppress a majority of the aforementioned showers. That said, yet another ejecting shortwave will progress through the region and bring further destabilization of the mid- levels while maintaining cooler temperatures. At this point in time, the best chances for showers and thunderstorms with this wave will be more confined to the northern two-thirds of the forecast area. Forecast MUCAPE values increase to ~300-400 J/kg/K during the afternoon on Saturday, bringing even higher chances for seeing thunderstorm activity. Cooler temperatures will be maintained across the region on Saturday as the mean trough lingers over the West, with temperatures sitting right around 5 degrees below average. A similar story of ejecting shortwave troughs will exist heading into the late weekend and early week as the aforementioned mean trough remains in place. These waves will continue to bring daily chances for showers and thunderstorms across the region, as well as high elevation snow and/ or graupel. Though the precise timing and amplitude of these waves is a bit uncertain, the existence of them across the West will help restrict the building of a ridge and the reintroduction of above average temperatures. This will at least give the existing snowmelt a chance to melt at a slower rate as compared to what we've seen over the past several days of well above average temperatures. A majority (70%) of guidance maintains a mean trough over the region through at least next Sunday, however, there are ~30% of ensemble members that are in support of building a ridge by late next week. Until then, expect generally unsettled weather through mid-week next week alongside a slow warming trend Sunday forward. && .AVIATION...KSLC...System moves through, resulting in a more unsettled TAF period. Precipitation will be possible throughout, though highest probability of anything near/over the terminal looks to be from mid-morning Thursday into Thursday evening. A thunderstorm or two (~30% chance) also possible Thursday afternoon. Gusty erratic outflow winds possible with any convection in near enough vicinity to terminal. Otherwise, southerly winds generally favored, with some gusts in the afternoon. .REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...A system will work through the forecast region during the TAF period, resulting in a more unsettled period of weather. A low chance of precipitation (~10-30%) is noted at northern terminals overnight. Chances increase at all terminals by Thursday morning, and becoming maximized Thursday afternoon (~40- 70% chance). A few thunderstorms (~20-40% chance) also possible Thursday afternoon. Gusty erratic outflow winds will be possible in the vicinity of any convection. Otherwise, winds will largely maintain a southerly component to direction, becoming gusty during the afternoon. Generally expect mid to high BKN clouds, with some low clouds in/near precipitation. VFR conditions expected to prevail, with the exception being the potential for degraded conditions with any precip directly impacting terminal. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...Flood Watch through Friday morning for UTZ107. WY...None. && ADeSmet/Webber/Warthen For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
231 PM MDT Wed May 3 2023
UTZ123>125-128-032100-
South Central Utah UT-Southern Mountains UT-Zion National Park UT-
Lower Washington County UT-
231 PM MDT Wed May 3 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central
Washington County through 300 PM MDT...
At 231 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Sand Hollow State Park, or 19 miles west of Colorado City, moving
north at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Washington, Hurricane, La Verkin, Sand Hollow State Park, Quail Creek
State Park, Toquerville, Leeds, Virgin and Pintura.
This includes Interstate 15 between mile markers 14 and 32.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3702 11324 3700 11338 3730 11358 3737 11343
3737 11327
TIME...MOT...LOC 2031Z 162DEG 32KT 3708 11332
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
STWSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
421 PM MDT Wed May 3 2023
UTZ101-032300-
Great Salt Lake Desert and Mountains UT-
421 PM MDT Wed May 3 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Tooele
County through 500 PM MDT...
At 421 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12
miles west of Dugway English Village, moving north at 50 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Wendover, Dugway English Village, Dugway Proving Ground Test Range,
Utah Test and Training Range South, Knolls, Clive and Bonneville Salt
Flats.
This includes Interstate 80 in Utah between mile markers 0 and 54.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 4077 11405 4077 11303 4010 11258 4010 11405
TIME...MOT...LOC 2221Z 158DEG 44KT 4021 11299
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
JWThe Cedar City radar (KICX), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:06 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The White Reef RAWS mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 61 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The Causeway mesonet station recorded an initial peak gust of 61 mph at 6:15 pm MST, a second strong gust of 61 mph at 6:20 pm MST, and a final lesser gust of 58 mph at 6:25 pm MST. These gusts were a result of outflow winds associated with a cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The APG mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 65 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The Salt Flats mesonet station recorded an initial peak gust of 63 mph at 6:35 pm MST, and a final lesser gust of 62 mph at 6:45 pm MST. These gusts were a result of outflow winds associated with a cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The I-15 at MP 215 Lampson Canyon mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 58 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The Syracuse mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 58 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The Simpson Springs mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 58 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The I-80 at MP29 mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 63 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The high elevation Otter Creek mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 76 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The English Village mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 60 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The Vernon Hill mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 59 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
The US-189 at Deer Creek Dam mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 58 mph as a result of outflow winds associated with a nearby cluster of showers and thunderstorms moving through the area.
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, May 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: 1097872, 1097887, 1097889, 1097893, 1097907, 1097901, 1097895, 1097898, 1097903, 1097900, 1097899, 1097902.