Ice Storm — Northern Wasatch Front, Utah

2013-01-24 · Northern Wasatch Front, Utah

Event narrative

Freezing rain caused hazardous driving conditions along the northern Wasatch Front, with over 50 accidents attributed to the icy roads. Injuries due to slips and falls on the ice were common, with at least 100 injuries reported. Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful reported that the number of patients in the emergency room was the highest single-day total in the history of the hospital.

Wider weather episode

A rare freezing rain event occurred in Utah on January 24. Very cold air was trapped in valley locations due to a persistent inversion; when a weather disturbance brought precipitation to the area, and the system was too weak to break the inversion, freezing rain occurred at the surface, bringing widespread travel difficulties.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 431484. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.