Avalanche in Eastern Uinta Basin, Utah

Wind gusts across the zone ranged from 45 mph to 65 mph, with the peak gust of 66 mph occurring at the Vernal CWOP station in Vernal, UT. Three additional sites recorded gusts above 58 mph during this event. The KVEL ASOS, located at the Vernal Airport, recorded a peak gust of 51 mph.

A deep trough of low pressure approached eastern Utah and western Colorado from the west, with a strong 140 knot jet aloft wrapping around the trough's base. This jet, combined with a very tight southwesterly pressure gradient aloft, brought very strong winds to the region ahead of an impressive cold front. Wind gusts ranged from 45 mph to 65 mph across valley locations, while mountain locations saw gusts up to 90 mph.