Winter Storm — Utah's Dixie and Zion National Park, Utah

1997-03-31 · Utah's Dixie and Zion National Park, Utah

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front roared through Utah on this date. High winds and local heavy snowfall were the main weather problems with this system. 6-14" of snow accumulated in the northern mountains and 2-6" elsewhere. High winds caused extensive damage. Some peak wind gusts were: Logan Peak (9600' ASL) 95 mph (83 kts), Solitude (9800') 90 mph (78 kts), 81 mph (70 kts) at the Saltair Marina, and 70 mph (61 kts) on top of the 6-story KSL building in downtown Salt Lake City. Numerous locations had wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. Damage included a roof being blown off a house in Salt Lake City. A mast on a sailboat being toppled at the Saltair Marina. Large trees were downed and several power outages occurred. Several traffic accidents resulted in numerous injuries and 3 fatalities.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5602681. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.