| 2003 Utah snowstorm | |
| Stormtype: | Snowstorm |
| Date Formed: | December 25, 2003 |
| Date Dissipated: | December 31, 2003 |
| Pressure: | Unknown |
| Total Damages (Usd): | $1,820,000 |
| Total Fatalities: | 5 |
| Areas Affected: | Utah |
The 2003 Utah snowstorm was a major snowstorm that affected the state of Utah during December 25–31, 2003. Many areas of Utah were paralyzed by up to 4feet of snow. The Wasatch Front from the Salt Lake Valley northward saw generally 1–3 feet of snow (30–90 cm), with up to four feet on the benches, while the surrounding mountains generally saw 5–7 feet of snow (1.5–2 m), with up to nine feet in some areas. The storm even reached southern Utah with moderate snow amounts, with a few inches in some low-lying valley locations. At least five deaths were attributed to the heavy snow.The Salt Lake City airport saw 21.9inches of snow. The 19.4inches of snow that fell during December 25–28, in the first wave of the storm, ranks as the 5th-largest storm in Salt Lake City history.[1] The most snow along the Wasatch Front was recorded on the Layton bench in Davis County, which saw 51inches. Davis and Weber Counties were perhaps the hardest-hit areas, with even valley locations recording over 2 and as much as 3 feet (60–90 cm) in places. Bountiful, typically one of the areas hardest hit by lake-effect snows, saw 32inches, Clearfield 28inches, and Ogden 36inches. The storm also affected areas further north, including Brigham City with 19inches and Logan with 18 inches. Areas along the southern Wasatch Front saw less snow, with just 6inches in Provo, although Spanish Fork saw 17inches, due to lake effect snows from Utah Lake, which Spanish Fork is frequently in the path of. The Wasatch Back also saw significant amounts of snow, with 50inches in Summit Park, near the summit of Parley's Canyon and just a few miles northwest of Park City.
The Wasatch Mountains saw near-record amounts of snow. Farmington Canyon in Davis County saw the most snow of any place in the storm, with 103inches of snow. The ski resorts of Salt Lake County saw several feet of snow as well, with some skiers reporting "epic ski conditions." Alta saw 87inches of snow, Snowbird had 82inches, Brighton 66inches, and Nordic Valley 51inches.
Unusual for such a storm, this massive snowstorm even penetrated into southern Utah, dropping moderate amounts across the south. The Brian Head ski resort saw 40inches to top off mountain locations, while even low valley locations saw snow, including Kanab with 7inches, and Hurricane with 2inches, just a few hundred feet (~100 m) higher and a few miles east of Saint George.
Overall, five people were killed in the storm. An avalanche on the east side of Mount Timpanogos killed three snowboarders on December 26, while traffic accidents killed two people on December 28. In addition, at least one million people along the Wasatch Front lost power just on the first day of the storm, and at least 2,000 traffic accidents were reported (most of them along the Wasatch Front). In total, the storm caused at least $3.82 million in damage. Utah Power (now Rocky Mountain Power) faced criticism from residents and even the Salt Lake City council on the speed and effectiveness of electricity restoration to the area after more than 300 customers were still without power 20 days after the storm.[2]