A storm system brought strong winds prior to rain and snow.
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The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
A storm system brought strong winds prior to rain and snow.
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 Dec 14, 3:50 AM MST, 9 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT
350 AM MST Sat Dec 14 2024
.SYNOPSIS...Southwesterly flow will increase today under a mild and
moist airmass as the next storm system approaches the area. Valley
rain and mountain snow is expected today. Cooler air will then work
its way in tonight into tomorrow, resulting in lowering snow levels
as precipitation continues. Another weak storm system is expected
late Monday into Tuesday before high pressure settles into the area.
&&
.SHORT TERM (THROUGH 12Z MONDAY)...A transient shortwave ridge over
Utah this morning will shift east this afternoon as the next
shortwave trough comes ashore over the West Coast. Southwest flow
will increase this afternoon, with H7 flow forecast to peak at 40-
50kt. In conjunction with a supportive surface pressure gradient,
surface winds will likely be breezy to windy, but winds will be
moderated by increasing cloud cover and precipitation. Expect gusts
30-40+ mph will possible across the western Utah valleys, with
isolated areas potentially touching advisory criteria.
This approaching trough is associated with an atmospheric river
impinging on the West Coast. While a lot of this moisture will be
lost to the Sierra Nevada, some of it will be able to sneak around
it into Utah. Ensemble analyses from both the EPS and NAEFS indicate
IVT anomalies in excess of the 97th percentile reaching Utah today.
Thus, as warm advection strengthens, fairly widespread precipitation
can be expected to develop across the area late this morning into
this afternoon. The moist and mild airmass will maintain high snow
levels, so expect most valleys to see precipitation in the form of
rain or a rain/snow mix with very little or no accumulation.
Mountains will see modest accumulations of relatively dense snow,
greatest amounts across northern Utah.
A bit of a lull in precipitation is expected late this afternoon into
this evening before the main trough crosses the area tonight.
Southwesterly flow will turn more westerly late tonight while cooler
air works its way in. Snow will trend less dense through the night
into tomorrow morning. Initially, snow will be widespread across
northern Utah tonight (southern Utah will mostly be left out), then
become increasingly confined to the mountains tomorrow before
tapering off late tomorrow afternoon. While snow levels should reach
the valley floors by tomorrow morning, the duration will be
relatively short and valley accumulations are expected be light,
generally 1 inch or less. The northern mountains, in general, will
see around 6-12 inches with locally up to 15 inches between today
and tomorrow, which justifies the Winter Weather Advisory in effect.
.LONG TERM (After 12Z Monday)...Our only opportunity for
precipitation during the long term period will be associated with a
PNW trough grazing by to our north late Monday into early Tuesday.
After this, unanimous agreement amongst every ensemble member builds
a broad ridge across the Intermountain West that will persist
through the remainder of the long term period and beyond.
Shortwave ridging on Monday will result in dry conditions and
temperatures a few degrees above average, but this ridge is short
lived as a trough will be moving in from the PNW Monday night. A
majority of the guidance (72%) suggest this trough will just graze
us to the north bringing a limited amount of moisture to northern
Utah and southwest Wyoming. The other 28% of guidance brings a
slightly deeper trough that would bring more widespread
precipitation to northern Utah. QPF ranges from only a few
hundredths across the high terrain of far northern Utah (25th
percentile) to 0.25-0.5" (75th percentile) in the northern
mountains. Central and southern Utah will remain dry. Valley
moisture will be limited to a trace up to ~0.15" for valleys near
the Utah border. H7 temperatures will be just cold enough (mean = -
8C) for some snow to mix down to valley floors overnight Monday into
Tuesday morning. If the wetter scenario plays out then there could
be a couple of inches of snow for some far northern valleys on
Tuesday morning that could bring some impacts to the Tuesday morning
commute.
This trough quickly pushes to the east during the day Tuesday.
Ridging builds back into the region for the remainder of the period.
Some troughs passing by to the north will help keep the ridge
flattened with some light westerly flow aloft through the remainder
of the week that will help keep valleys ventilated. However, by the
weekend the ridge will amplify with H7 temperatures warming close to
3C. Expect inversions to develop under this strong broad area of
subsidence. Another trough doesn't appear likely until at least
midweek the following week.
&&
.AVIATION...KSLC...VFR conditions will likely continue through the
remainder of the period for the KSLC terminal. Southerly winds will
be increasing through the day ahead of a trough. Additionally, light
rain will try to push into the terminal during the day, but
southwesterly flow aloft may help keep low levels dry near the
terminal. CIGs will be near or slightly below ridgetops with
mountain obscuration developing during the day.
.REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Southerly flow will be
increasing ahead of an approaching trough with southerly winds
gusting during the day across most terminals. CIGs will be lowering
to near ridgetops as moisture moves in from the west during the day.
This will create period of mountain obscuration. This light rain
snow mix will mostly be confined to the northern portion of the
airspace. This moisture will quickly move in and out between 17-22Z
with brief MVFR conditions before a return to VFR for the northern
airspace.
&&
.SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
UT...Winter Weather Advisory from noon today to 3 PM MST Sunday for
UTZ110>112.
WY...None.
&&
Cheng/Mahan
For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit...
http://weather.gov/saltlakecityThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust of 64 mph was recorded at the Vernon Hill mesonet site. Other wind gusts include 71 mph at the SR-201 at I-80 mesonet site and 68 mph at the I-80 at MP 79 Timpie mesonet site.
A wind gust of 71 mph was recorded at the DW6120 Sandy mesonet site. Other wind gusts include 58 mph at the FW1924 West Jordan mesonet site.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, December 2024
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: 1224917, 1224918.