Winter Storm — Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys, Utah

2015-04-14 to 2015-04-16 · Salt Lake and Tooele Valleys, Utah

Event narrative

Storm total snowfall in the Salt Lake Valley included 14 inches at Upper Millcreek, 12 inches in Sandy, and many reports of approximately 10 inches of snow. The worst conditions on roadways occurred on the morning commute of April 15, with 118 crashes reported, including 16 that resulted in injuries. During the evening commute on April 15, a woman was killed in a multicar crash on State Route 201 near the Interstate 80 on-ramp. The victim lost control of her vehicle on the snow-packed road, and was then rear-ended by another vehicle traveling the same route. In addition, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper was injured while responding to the scene.

Wider weather episode

A strong and windy storm system moved through Utah beginning April 14, and the winds caused widespread damage across the state. This damage included a fatal pileup accident on Interstate 80 and a destructive wildfire in central Utah that was fueled by the winds. In addition, the storm brought heavy snowfall to both the mountains and valleys of northern Utah.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 573995. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.