An approaching northern stream trough in combination with sufficient moisture resulted in the development of isolated high based convection across Utah on May 5th. This activity resulted in strong outflow wind gusts, and at least one instance of an isolated severe wind gust.
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The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
An approaching northern stream trough in combination with sufficient moisture resulted in the development of isolated high based convection across Utah on May 5th. This activity resulted in strong outflow wind gusts, and at least one instance of an isolated severe wind gust.
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 5, 9:12 PM MST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 1012 PM MDT Tue May 5 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Nocturnal convection will push from north to south with precipitation ending by midday tomorrow. - Marginal freezing temperatures Wednesday morning across Cache Valley and western Uinta Basin. - High pressure will bring dry conditions and a warming trend through early next week. && .DISCUSSION...Nocturnal convection is currently moving through northern Utah as the axis of the trough to our northeast swings through the area. This convection should sustain itself, thanks to some decent shear, as it tracks into central Utah overnight. The main threat with this convection will be frequent lightning and the potential for some gusty outflow winds. Otherwise, storm motions will be fast enough to limit the threat of flash flooding. An abnormally cold airmass will accompany this trough with areas in the Cache Valley and western Uinta Basin flirting with freezing temperatures Wednesday morning. The most recent guidance that has come in has temperatures a degree or two warmer across most locations due to the lingering cloud cover and elevated winds. However, Thursday morning will see another threat for freezing conditions, primarily across Sanpete valley and the western Uinta Basin. Cache Valley will likely stay above freezing as temperatures do start to quickly warm aloft. One last shortwave on Thursday will graze the northern CWA which could produce some diurnal showers near the Idaho and Wyoming borders. Otherwise, ridging builds back into the area with dry and stable conditions pairing with unusually warm, and potentially record breaking, temperatures by early next week. Forecast temperatures by next Monday and Tuesday are currently sitting at 90 degrees for KSLC, which would mark the first 90 degree day of the year and one of the earliest on record. This dry pattern could stick around for a while with only 20% of ensemble members producing any precipitation for the next 10 days. && .AVIATION...KSLC...Isolated shower chances are maintained through around 10Z. Ongoing flow has been supporting southerly winds, but showers and easterly winds draining out of canyons may result in some variability before more likely settling northerly after 10Z or so. Shower chances diminish thereafter with gradual clearing and maintained northerly winds into the day. Winds then expected to shift back SE by ~03-05Z Thu. .REST OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING...Isolated to scattered showers will continue through dawn or so, especially at northern terminals. In addition, northern terminals near terrain may see some easterly terrain driven winds try to sneak in. Wind directions may be a bit variable for a bit given the different influences, but should begin to settle out northerly by mid morning. Terminals will then see a clearing trend through the day, with winds favored to remain northerly. Winds then begin to follow a more diurnally normal trend into the evening, excepting SGU which may see a period of down- canyon winds develop near sunset. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...Freeze Warning until 9 AM MDT Wednesday for UTZ107-114. WY...None. && PUBLIC...Mahan AVIATION...Warthen For more information from NOAA's National Weather Service visit... http://weather.gov/saltlakecity
The Salt Lake City radar (KMTX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:19 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The I-80 at MP 40 Knolls mesonet station recorded a wind gust of 62 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 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, May 2026
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: 1331835.