High Wind — Tooele and Rush Valleys, Utah

2024-01-12 to 2024-01-13 · Tooele and Rush Valleys, Utah

Event narrative

Numerous strong wind gusts were observed at mesonet sites through the event, including I-80 at MP 78 (76 mph), I-80 at MP 79 Timpie (74 mph), Vernon Hill (67 mph), and I-80 at MP 81 Dolomite (61 mph). A prolonged period of sustained winds in excess of 40 mph were also noted at the Vernon Hill mesonet site.

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 1151603. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.