Winter Storm — Wasatch Back, Utah

2024-03-01 to 2024-03-03 · Wasatch Back, Utah

Event narrative

The SR-248 mesonet site measured the first wind gust exceeding high wind criteria, with an initial high wind gust of 60 mph observed 3/1 at 11:00 pm MST. The US-189 at Deer Creek Dam mesonet site measured the last wind gust exceeding high wind criteria, with a final high wind gust of 58 mph observed 3/2 at 2:50 pm MST. The SR-248 mesonet site measured the zone's peak wind gust during the event, with a gust of 69 mph observed 3/2 at 12:00 pm MST. The Jordanelle Reservoir mesonet site also recorded a wind gust of 58 mph during the event. While widespread snow accumulations above criteria were not observed, the combination of wind with what snow fell early on in the event were noted as impactful. A report of 9 inches of snowfall was received from Mountain Green by the time snowfall began to diminish.

Wider weather episode

A strong system approached the region for the start of March, with very anomalously strong low level flow noted ahead of a cold frontal boundary. This strong low level flow resulted in a prolonged period of strong sustained and gusty winds across almost the entirety of Utah. As the cold front moved into northern Utah, some areas experienced convective precipitation and associated strong wind gusts. Winds began to subside following the passage of the cold front, but the colder air allowed for precipitation to transition to snow, yielding accumulating snow across much of the area. Mountain locations which remained sufficiently cold throughout the event received fairly substantial snow accumulations in addition to the prolonged strong winds.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1158138. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.