Winter Storm in Bear Lake and Bear River Valley, Utah

COOP observers reported snowfall amounts of 21.0 inches in Laketown, and 8.0 inches in Randolph. Additionally, strong winds were noted with the storm. The Bear Lake mesonet sensor recorded a peak gust of 60 mph, and the FW8325 Garden City mesonet site reported a peak gust of 60 mph. Periods of lesser gusts were noted elsewhere through the storm.

A fairly long duration two part winter storm moved through Utah in mid January. This winter storm resulted in several days of fairly substantial mountain snow, with more modest accumulations noted in some of the lower elevation valleys. Mountain snow was more or less a continuous feature with minimal breaks between the two portions of the system, while most valley accumulations occurred during the colder second half of the system. This system also produced periods of strong sustained winds and gusts, and was responsible for triggering multiple avalanches throughout Utah's mountains.