Heavy Snow — Western Uinta Mountains, Utah

2024-05-05 to 2024-05-08 · Western Uinta Mountains, Utah

Event narrative

Several SNOTEL stations including Five Points Lake, Lily Lake, and Lakefork Basin recorded 1.2 to 1.9 inches of snow water equivalent, resulting in approximately 12 to 20 inches of snow.

Wider weather episode

A cold season type of trough and associated surface features moved through Utah in early May. Ahead of the system, strong synoptic wind gusts occurred throughout portions of the state. While wind gusts decreased following a cold frontal passage, precipitation increased. Periods of post-frontal precipitation then continued in the unsettled northwesterly flow as the trough shifted through the region. Given anomalously cold air associated with the trough, some area mountains received Winter Storm levels of snow, and sub-warning snow amounts were even observed in some lower elevation valley locations. Following the systems departure, a fatal avalanche occurred involving multiple backcountry skiers.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1166957. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.