User:Bob rulz/Utah weather of 2008

Utah's weather in 2008 has continued the snowy, cold pattern seen during December 2007. Storms of all sizes continued unabated through January and early February, bringing heavy snow to northern Utah and especially the Ogden area. Snow removal budgets for many cities in northern Utah were stretched to their limit by the end of January. Snowstorms continued throughout February and early March, with one particularly vicious snowstorm that stranded motorists and students across northern Utah County in blizzard conditions. Spring was cool and dry across most of the state. The period from December 2007 - May 2008 saw 6 straight months of below-average temperatures, the longest such stretch in recent memory. Summer was very dry and featured above-average temperatures. Fall has seen near-average temperatures but has also featured a few particularly cold early-season storms, one of which brought snow to most of the state in early October.

At least 5 weather-related deaths have occurred so far this year, 2 of them from snow-related traffic accidents in January (near Spanish Fork and Tooele), 1 from cold weather in Ogden, 1 from the collapse of a carport in mid-February due to heavy snow, also in Ogden, and another after a sheet of ice killed a truck driver near Naples.

January

• Alta recorded a remarkable 178.5 inches (453 cm) or (14 feet, 9 inches) of snow during the month of January, tying the January record set in 1996.
• January 2 - Drifting snow along U.S. Route 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon, a notoriously dangerous canyon, caused a car to slide into oncoming traffic. The car was t-boned by a semi, killing 1 person in the van and injuring 3 other people (including the truck driver).
• January 5–January 7 - A major winter storm impacted the entire state, with heavy snow of 2-4 feet recorded in the mountains (reaching 48 inches at Duck Creek Village and 38 inches at Brighton Ski Resort). A general 2-10 inches of snow fell across the Wasatch Front, with the most on the benches of Davis and Weber Counties and 8 inches at Cedar City. Mount Pleasant recorded 13 inches, with up to 15 inches along the Wasatch Back. Heavy rainfall amounts of up to 2 inches fell in southwestern Utah. The storm also brought heavy winds gusting to 60-70mph in some areas, downing power lines in the Tooele Valley and in areas of the Salt Lake Valley, with approximately 10,000 residents out of power at one point. Wind gusts of up to 105mph were recorded in the Wasatch Mountains. An avalanche closed State Route 14 near Brian Head, and Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed for a time on the 5th. On the 6th and 7th, heavy snow periodically closed Salt Lake City International Airport. A ski bus traveling from Telluride, Colorado to Phoenix, Arizona along U.S. Route 163 north of Mexican Hat in southeastern Utah ran off the road on the 6th on slick, rain-soaked roads, killing 9 people and injuring 20. However, it was never fully determined if the crash was caused by the slick roads.
• January 8–January 9 - The northern Wasatch Front got slammed with another major storm, with 12-18 inches recorded in the Ogden area. The Cache Valley also saw up to 10 inches of snow. While bench areas of Utah County saw up to 8 inches, only 1-4 inches fell across the Salt Lake Valley, which primarily remained in the rain shadow of the Oquirrh Mountains due to the southwesterly flow. Snow fell as far south as Richfield, which recorded 4 inches. The Wasatch Mountains recorded about 12-30 inches. Evening classes on the 9th were canceled at Weber State University in Ogden.
• January 15–January 16 - Although snow amounts were minimal, high winds (with gusts reaching 50-60mph in the valleys and up to 90mph in the mountains) and the short duration of the snowfall led to over 200 accidents along the Wasatch Front. The mountains saw about 2-8 inches, with only up to 2 inches recorded in the valleys. A five-car accident injured 4 people on I-80 in eastern Salt Lake City. A transient was found dead from the cold in a warehouse in Ogden on the 16th. The homeless shelter in Ogden was full.
• January 21 - The Wasatch Front saw yet another storm on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with Sandy recording 12-18 inches and areas of the east bench of Salt Lake City seeing nearly a foot. The rest of the Salt Lake Valley saw about 6-10 inches, with a daily record 6.1 inches recorded at Salt Lake City International Airport. The Wasatch Mountains saw a general 8-24 inches (with the most at Snowbasin, with 22 inches), while snow fell as far south as Fillmore (with 3 inches) and Manti (with 4 inches). The start of the 2008 Legislative Session at the Utah State Capitol building was delayed by 30 minutes, Little Cottonwood Canyon closed due to avalanche danger, and a power outage was reported on the Provo bench. Approximately 400 crashes and slide-offs were recorded in Salt Lake and Utah Counties alone.
• January 22–January 23 - At least 6 record low highs and 4 record lows were set during these 2 days in the wake of the previous storm. The most impressive of these was a high of 6°F (-14°C) at Randolph on the 22nd and a low of -27°F (-33°C) the next morning.
• January 27–January 28 - A powerful but quick-moving storm with powerful winds hit northern Utah, bringing about 1-3 feet of snow to the Wasatch Mountains (with 33 inches recorded at Solitude). The Salt Lake Valley saw 2-6 inches, with 5 inches in Cedar City and only up to 4 inches along the rest of the I-15 corridor. The major story with this storm, however, was the blowing snow. Wind gusts ahead of and during the beginning of the storm reached 70-100mph over the Wasatch Mountains, with widespread amounts of 50-80mph in the valleys, including southern Utah, where Bullfrog (on the shores of Lake Powell) recording a wind gust of 78mph, while St. George recorded a gust of 74mph. Salt Lake City International Airport recorded a gust of 53mph. Whiteout conditions caused over 200 accidents along the Wasatch Front, including a 40-car pileup on I-15 near Payson (which included 12 semis), which remarkably resulted in only 1 serious injury. One person was killed in a snow-related traffic accident near Tooele. At various points, parts of I-15, I-80 through Parley's Canyon and near the Wyoming border, I-215, I-70 between Salina and Green River, U.S. 89/91 east of Brigham City, U.S. 191 between Price and Vernal, U.S. 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon, and numerous state roads through mountainous regions were all closed due to hazardous conditions.
• January 29–January 30 - Yet another storm moved through northern Utah, bringing 18-30 inches of snow to the Wasatch Mountains (the most being recorded at Alta), with several inches of snow in the northern Wasatch Front (up to 8 inches at Brigham City and Ogden). Schools in Park City were closed due to heavy, blowing snow, and both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons were closed. I-80 into Wyoming was also closed. The Wasatch Back recorded 8-16 inches of snow, while the Sanpete Valley in central Utah got in on the action with 4-6 inches.

February

• By the beginning of February, snow removal budgets across northern Utah were stretched to their limits. South Jordan, West Jordan, and Riverton all had exhausted their snow-removal budgets. The budget for snow removal was running about twice normal in Park City, where snow is typically so heavy that it must be hauled out of town. Provo, Orem, Eagle Mountain, Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Logan, and the Utah Department of Transportation also faced funding issues with snow removal. On the other hand, in Midvale, authorities stated that it was a return to normalcy after years of weak snowfalls.
• February 3–February 4 - The last major storm in the series impacted the entire state, bringing locally heavy snowfall to many areas. The snow began in some areas on the morning of the 3rd in a strong southwest flow, bringing heavy snow to the southern Salt Lake Valley, parts of the Wasatch Range, and to the Ogden area and the Ogden Valley (which is above Ogden to the east). The snow then spread across the entire state and up and down the Wasatch Front. A third and final impulse moved through the Wasatch Front mid-morning on the 4th. By the time the storm had ended, snowfall amounts varied tremendously over locally small areas. School was canceled in Huntsville and in San Juan County and several roads were closed. Approximately 12-18 inches of snow fell in the Ogden area, while 29 inches fell in Liberty in the Ogden Valley. The Salt Lake Valley saw a general 2-8 inches, but up to a foot was recorded in South Jordan, while over a foot of snow fell on the Utah County benches around Alpine. The Wasatch Range saw 18-40 inches of snow, peaking at 41 inches at Brighton Ski Resort, while Brian Head saw 18 inches. Even in southern Utah, Kanab got 5 inches, Natural Bridges National Monument saw 6 inches, New Harmony saw 9 inches, and St. George got up to 2 inches. Widespread amounts of 3-8 inches fell in eastern Utah, with widely-varying amounts across northern and southern Utah. A carport collapsed in Ogden from the weight of heavy snow, killing a woman who was getting into her car at the time.
• February 6 - A couple and their dog who had been lost in the snow while observing wildlife near State Route 56 in western Iron County were found alive after spending 10 days in their car and the wilderness as snow continued to pile up. They were found by a road crew that had been plowing a minor side road north of Modena days after the last snowstorm and were in remarkably good health.
• February 8 - A part of the roof of South Summit Middle School in Kamas collapsed under heavy snow.
• February 12 - A freak accident claimed the life of a man after a water truck passed him on the other side of the road and a sheet of ice flew off the top, breaking through the man's windshield on State Route 45 south of Naples.
• February 13–February 14 - A major storm brought blizzard conditions to portions of northern Utah on the 13th, hitting northern Utah County and southern Salt Lake County especially hard. State Route 73 to Eagle Mountain was closed, and a 17-car pileup occurred in Saratoga Springs. Numerous people were injured in rollovers and slide-offs. Whiteout conditions forced many people in 3 elementary schools in the Alpine School District to stay at schools late or even spend the night, and stranded motorists spent the night at restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, motels, and even their own cars across northern Utah County. Two semis jackknifed along I-15 near the Utah and Salt Lake County border (or the "Point of the Mountain"). A woman and three children trapped in an overturned SUV were also rescued. School was canceled or started late on the 14th in several areas of Utah County and Tooele County. Night classes at Utah State University in Logan, where approximately 8 inches fell, were canceled as well. U.S. 6 east of Spanish Fork in Spanish Fork Canyon and I-84 near the Idaho border were also closed. Although snow was generally only 6-10 inches across these areas, they were piled into drifts several feet high. Tooele saw approximately 16-22 inches from the storm. The foothills of southern Utah County (including Woodland Hills) saw up to a foot of snow, while 18 inches fell in Fillmore in central Utah, with snow falling as far south as Salina.

March

• March 15–March 16 - Heavy snow fell across northern and central Utah, causing numerous accidents across northern Utah. The Wasatch Mountains recorded 2-3 feet of snow, while the Wasatch Front recorded just 2-8 inches. However, foggy conditions caused pileups of 6 and 10 cars in northern Box Elder County near the Idaho border, and several accidents occurred near the mouth of Parleys Canyon on I-80, including an 8-car pileup. In all, 3 people were severely injured. An accident on I-15 near the Iron/Beaver County line that killed 1 person on the 16th may have been caused by wet roads.
• March 30–April 2 - 15 record low highs and 16 record lows occurred in the wake of a cold late-season storm system, including 2 consecutive record low highs for Salt Lake City on the 30th and 31st and lows of 4°F at Randolph and 5°F at Coalville on the 1st.

April

• April 16–April 18 - Unseasonably cold air moved into the state in the wake of a relatively dry but windy cold front, producing 9 record low highs and 13 record lows.
• April 21–April 22 - Another dry, windy cold front brought a cold snap into the state, producing 10 record lows.
• April 25 - Seven more record lows occurred on this date.

May

• May 1–May 3 - Yet more record lows in this unusually cool spring occurred, with 4 record low highs and 11 record lows set. Temperatures as low as 15°F occurred in Delta on the 2nd and Randolph on the 3rd.
• May 18–May 20 - A heat wave occurred throughout Utah, bringing 35 record highs and 4 record high lows to the state, including a high of 103°F at St. George on the 19th. Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar City, Delta, and Escalante all set 3 record highs in a row.
• May 20–May 23 - The most significant storm of the spring season brought widespread rain throughout the state. Totals reached over 2 inches in the northern Utah mountains and mountain valleys and exceeded 1-2 inches across central Utah, especially along the I-15 corridor from Springville south through Fillmore and in nearby Sanpete County. The Salt Lake Valley saw totals in the half-inch to 1-inch range. Up to 20 inches of snow fell in the Wasatch Mountains, peaking at Snowbird.
• May 22–May 24 - Widespread cloud cover and cold air resulting from the storm resulted in 22 record low highs yet just 3 record lows for the period, including 1 record low high in Salt Lake City.

June

• The 6-month stretch of below average temperatures in Salt Lake City (December 2007 - May 2008), the longest such stretch in recent memory, came to an end as cool spring weather gave way to above-average summer weather in late June.

July

• July 2008 was the fifth-hottest July on record in Salt Lake City.
• July 1–July 5 - 4 record highs and 6 record high lows were reported during this time period, including 2 consecutive record highs at Bryce Canyon and 1 record high low at Salt Lake City.
• July 11–July 14 - Scattered but powerful thunderstorms moved over southern Utah, producing isolated flash flooding in many dry washes and slot canyons. Over this period, some isolated areas of southern Utah saw 2-3 inches of rain. Flooding in Zion National Park on the 12th caused flash flooding that forced two hikers to be rescued, while on the 14th, flooding caused minor damage in Ivins.
• July 20–July 22 - Widespread thunderstorms across mostly southern Utah, dropping a half-inch to 1 inch of rain to some areas, including Cedar City and Bryce Canyon. Cloudy skies overnight led to 4 record high lows on the 21st. Wind gusts of 50-60 mph were recorded across the Great Salt Lake Desert. Storm activity increased on the 22nd and shifted further north, with some isolated areas of the Uinta Mountains reporting over 3 inches of rain. A half-inch to 1.5 inches of rain fell across many areas of western Salt Lake County, causing flooding and minor damage in Kearns and Taylorsville. Duchesne set a daily rainfall record.
• July 25–July 26 - 5 record highs were set on the 25th, including 105°F at Delta. The heat carried overnight with 3 record high lows reported, including at Salt Lake City.
• July 26 – July 27 - More flooding occurred in central Utah on the 26th, with 1-2+ inches of rain causing street and home flooding in Circleville and Beaver. Rain was recorded as far north as the Salt Lake Valley. The 27th saw the storms shift further north, bringing localized downpours of a half-inch to 1.5 inches, particularly in Utah County, Cedar City, and Milford. Wind gusts were extreme across northern Utah, reaching 50-60 mph across much of the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys, with up to 65mph recorded in the west deserts.

August

• July 31–August 1 - A record high of 107°F in Hanksville on the 31st was followed by a record high of 103°F in Salt Lake City.
• August 4–August 10 - Widespread thunderstorms were seen as the monsoon made its way into Utah during the 1st week of August. Isolated flooding occurred on some days. Minor flooding occurred on the 4th in Zion National Park and isolated areas of western Washington. Caineville and Colton, as well as some slot canyons of southern Utah, saw flooding on the 7th, which was the most active day during that pattern. A half-inch to 1 inch of rain were reported in some lowland areas. Quarter-sized hail was reported across areas of the Salt Lake Valley on the 10th.
• August 24–August 25 - 8 record highs and 6 record high lows were reported during this hot period, including 1 of each at Salt Lake City and 2 consecutive record highs at Coalville.
• August 29–August 30 - 6 record highs were recorded in advance of an unseasonably powerful cold front.
• August 30–August 31 - A powerful cold front moved into the state, drawing up moisture from the south and sparking widespread thunderstorms. Rainfall of 1 to 1.5 inches were reported across most of northern Utah, with up to a half-inch (including a daily record on the 30th in Hanksville) reported across areas of southern Utah, mostly on the 30th. Rainfall was 1.5-3 inches across the northern mountains, and some high mountain areas even saw a few inches of snow. Wind gusts of 45-60 mph were reported across the Wasatch Front, including a phenomenal 69mph at Lehi, while the west desert areas and northern moutains saw wind gusts of 60 to nearly 90mph. Widespread tree damage was reported in Brigham City and Layton. Flooding was reported in Kanab on the 30th, and 1 boy was killed while he was trying to cross a rain-swollen river on an ATV.

September

• September 1–September 3 - Cold air in the wake of a strong cold front brought 7 record lows to the state, including 28°F at Alta on the 3rd.
• September 10– - Flash flooding killed 2 hikers and injured 2 others as they were hiking slot canyons in Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument.