Winter Storm — Wasatch Mountains South of I-80, Utah

2024-01-11 to 2024-01-15 · Wasatch Mountains South of I-80, Utah

Event narrative

Several SNOTEL stations including Timpanogos Divide, Thaynes Canyon, and Atwater recorded roughly 1.8 to 5.5 inches of snow water equivalent, resulting in approximately 22 to 71 inches of snow. Some additional snowfall reports from the snow safety community include 57.0 inches at Alta Ski Area, 48.0 inches at Brighton, and 31.5 inches at Snowbird. Strong winds were also noted, with several observations at Hidden Peak in excess of 100 mph (with a peak gust of 117 mph at 7:45 pm MST 1/12), and wind gusts in excess of 70 mph also noted at mesonet sites such as Mt. Baldy and Arrowhead Summit.

Wider weather episode

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.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1151596. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.