User:Bob rulz/Utah weather of 2007

Utah's weather in 2007 came in with cool and stable conditions, but quickly gave way to a powerful storm in early January. Following this, some of the coldest air to affect the state in many years, accompanied by a powerful inversion, remained in place over the state for the rest of the month. The inversion and cold air lifted out by the end of the month, and a series of powerful storms hit the state from mid-February through early March. However, this came too late to save the meager snowpack, which was prematurely melted by a record-breaking mid-March heat wave. Spring was dry and warm across most of the state, with only occasional Pacific storms to break the silence, mostly affecting southern Utah. Another heat wave hit the state in mid-May, and the last Pacific storm, a cold, late-season storm, hit northern Utah in early June. From late June through mid-July, the state was almost completely dry. The exceedingly dry conditions led to what was one of the worst wildfire seasons in state history. Late June also saw the advent of a heatwave that arguably lasted most of the month of July, which was among the hottest months on record statewide. The monsoon finally made its way into the state in the last week of July, cooling temperatures and helping to contain the wildfires, but only saw a short active period into early August. The monsoon kicked back in in late August, but again was short-lived, and a renewed heatwave lasted from mid-August through early September. Relief finally came in the form of a series of cold, powerful Pacific storms that began in late September. These storms continued through mid-October, after which the state was stuck in a warm and dry pattern through November. However, December turned out to be exceptionally snowy, stormy, and cold across the state, a pattern which only intensified through the New Year.

Drought crept back into the state after a meager snowpack year, with the entire state being overcome with severe drought conditions during the dry summer. Eastern and southwestern Utah saw some improvement through the end of the year. At least 10 people were killed in weather-related incidents, 4 of them in avalanches in February and 3 more from avalanches in December, with 2 more deaths in snow-related traffic accidents in December and 1 man killed by lightning in October. The 7 avalanche deaths were an annual record for the state of Utah. An additional 3 people were killed by a wildfire in Uintah County in late June.

January

• Drought began the year in the far eastern Uinta Mountain region and slowly crept westward during the month.
• Salt Lake City saw its coldest month since December 1990.
• January 11–January 13 - A powerful winter storm moved into the state on the 11th, bringing snow to much of northern Utah, leaving up to 6 inches along the Wasatch Front and leading to at least 47 accident-related injuries in Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah Counties. The storm then moved into southern Utah late in the day and dropped up to 11 inches of snow in Cedar City and 12 inches at Brian Head. The storm moved into eastern Utah on the 12th, where it dropped up to 7 inches in the Uinta Basin. Also on the 12th, lake-effect snow hit the Tooele area, with reports of up to 18 inches of snow, while lake-effect from Utah Lake also hit southern Utah County, bringing 14 inches of snow near Salem.
• January 13–January 18 - A frigid cold snap leads to at least 50 record lows across the state, including a -35°F (-37°C) low in Roosevelt on January 15.

February

• Drought remained confined to the eastern Uinta Mountain region throughout the month.
• February 17–February 18 - Avalanches killed 3 people in separate events on these days. A storm had recently left 10-20 inches of fresh snow in the mountains.
• February 21 - Another person was killed in an avalanche.

March

• As very warm conditions melted the already meager snowpack prematurely, drought crept back into the southern border region of the state. Severe drought moved into the southwestern portion of the state by mid-month, and by the end of the month, the entire state faced moderate drought conditions, with severe drought remaining in the southwest and creeping back into the Four Corners region.
• March 11–March 20 - A massive heat wave set or tied at least 111 daily record high temperatures aross the state, including 2 (March 16 and 17) at Salt Lake City.
• March 17 - All-time March record highs were set at Cedar City at 78 degrees, Hanksville at 88, and Zion National Park at 91. The monthly record high was also tied at Heber at 74 degrees.

April

• Drought increased slightly during the month, with severe drought conditions creeping into the far southwest and far southeast corners of the state, as well as along parts of the Wyoming border.
• April 29 - Salt Lake City set an all-time April record high temperature at 89 degrees. All-time April record highs were also tied at Coalville at 85 degrees, Spanish Fork at 87, Tooele at 88, and Springville at 90.
• April 28–May 1 - 34 daily record high temperatures were set during this period.

May

• The drought conditions across the state remained the same.
• May 10–May 19 - Another massive heatwave reminiscent of the one seen in mid-March hit the state, with at least 49 daily record highs being set or tied across the state, including one in Salt Lake City on May 11.
• May 22 - 7 record low temperatures were set across the state in the wake of a cold but weak Pacific storm system.

June

• Drought conditions across the state again remained the same.
• June 5–June 7 - The last Pacific storm of the season, and one of the largest of the year, affected the state, dropping significant precipitation along the Wasatch Front. Some areas on the high benches of Davis and Weber Counties recorded nearly 3 inches of rain, with a max of 2.90 inches at Fruit Heights, and widespread 1-2 inch rain amounts were recorded on the valley floors. Minor street flooding was recorded in portions of Davis and Weber Counties. Anywhere from 6-16 inches of snow fell in the Wasatch Range above 7,000 feet. Little rain fell south of Utah County. Powerful wind gusts of 60+ mph were also recorded in many areas, with 50+ mph reports across the state. Wind blew down trees in Sandy and blew over a semi on I-80 in Tooele County.

July

• During July, severe drought conditions spread across the entire state.
• July was the hottest month on record in Salt Lake City, with an average temperature of 84.0°F (28.9°C), surpassing the previous record of 83.4°F (28.6°F), set in July 2003. There were also a record 24 days with temperatures at or above 95°F (35°C).
• July 1–July 7 - 31 daily record highs and 18 daily record high lows were set across the state during this period.
• July 4 - An all-time Utah high temperature of 118°F (48°C) was recorded 9 miles south of St. George, beating the record of 117°F (47°C), previously set in St. George on July 5, 1985.
• July 6 - St. George set an all-time record high minimum temperature, dropping only to 92°F (33°C), breaking the previous record of 89°F (31°C), set on July 15, 1970.
• July 14–July 16 - 10 more daily record highs and 7 daily record high lows were set during this period.
• July 19–July 21 - 3 daily record highs and, more impressively, 18 daily record high lows (due to extensive moisture and cloud cover from the monsoon moisture), were set during this period.
• July 25–July 26 - Excessive monsoon rainfall led to localized flash flooding near Oak City on the 25th, in southern Salt Lake County and northern Utah County on the 26th, and near Grantsville and Fountain Green on both days. The areas near Grantsville and Fountain Green had just recently been burned, while Oak City had experienced 2 wildfires the summer before. 1 inch dimater hail was reported east of Park City on the 25th, while a tornado was also spotted along I-15 just west of Plymouth. On the 25th, a 73mph (117km/h) wind gust was recorded in South Weber, while on the 26th, a remarkable 77mph (125km/h) wind gust was recorded on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
• July 27 - St. George saw about an inch of rain in an hour, causing widespread street and basement flooding throughout the city. Flash flooding was also reported throughout Zion National Park, where several hikers were stranded by the floodwaters, and a mudslide washed out SR-24 northeast of Hanksvile. Beaver Dam in southwestern Washington County reported 1 inch diameter hail.

August

• The entirety of Utah remained in severe drought in August, with no change in conditions.
• August was the second-hottest on record in Salt Lake City, with a temperature of 80.7°F (27.1°C), just shy of the record 80.8°F (27.1°C) set in 1994.
• Summer 2007 (June - August) was the hottest on record in Salt Lake City with an overall average temperature of 79.3°F (26.3°C).
• August 1 - Flash flooding flooded several homes near the towns of Virgin and Gunlock in Washington County. A bridge over the Santa Clara River north of Gunlock was also destroyed by the floodng.
• August 13–August 26 - At least 41 record highs and 26 record high lows were set or tied during this extensive hot period, including 3 record highs and 3 record high lows in Salt Lake City.
• August 22 - Hail up to 1 inch in diameter fell in the west deserts and in the high mountain valleys of Weber County. The largest hail fell in Lucin and Liberty.
• August 26–August 27 - Heavy thunderstorms overnight dropped 1-to-2 inch rains in a swath from St. George east through Zion National Park, flooding several homes in Ivins and forcing water to be diverted into a nearby street. A lightning strike also damaged electrical and lighting systems in the Hurricane city offices building.
• August 30–September 3 - At least 12 record highs and 18 record high lows were set or tied during this unusually hot pre-Labor Day period, including 1 record high and 2 record high lows in Salt Lake City.

September

• Eastern Utah's drought conditions improved during the month, being completely eliminated from the far eastern border and improving across the rest of eastern Utah, as well as in Dixie.
• September 2 - The record high low temperature of 75 degrees in Salt Lake City broke the previous record high low for September of 73 degrees, set on September 5, 1978.
• September 4 - A cold front that ushered in the end of the heat wave brought wild weather to Utah, with extensive flooding and wind damage across the state. Straight-line winds damaged communities in Stansbury Park and Erda, where two funnel clouds were also spotted. Winds prevented planes from landing at Salt Lake City International Airport for a brief time, while extensive flooding hit Logan, Fountain Green, and Capitol Reef National Park, where a scenic drive had to be closed. Wind damage was reported across northern Utah, most notably in Garden City, Murray, and at Hill Air Force Base. The small central Utah town of Paragonah saw the most rain, with 2.44 inches. Several mountain areas and areas along the Wasatch Front reported wind gusts exceeding 60mph.
• September 22–September 24 - The first major Fall storm of the season impacted the state, bringing an end to the unusually warm summer conditions (and warmer-than-average September) that had impacted the state since early June. The most precipitation reached 2 inches in the mountains of central Utah, with 1.80 inches in Fruit Heights. Salt Lake City saw 0.86 inches of rain, making it its wettest single storm since September 14-16, 2006. Up to 8 inches of snow also fell in the Wasatch Mountains.
• September 29 - A short but cold storm brought rare September snow to the floor of the Salt Lake Valley. Up to 4 inches of snow fell on the high benches, with up to 1 inch on the valley floor. Salt Lake City International Airport saw a trace of snow, making this its first September snow of any amount since September 18, 1978.
• September 30 - A cold snap in the wake of the recent storm brought 7 record lows to the state.

October

• Drought conditions remained the same across the state.
• October 5–October 6 - Another powerful early Fall storm brought up to 19 inches of snow to Alta, with up to 3 inches also recorded on the benches of the Wasatch Front. Many areas along the Wasatch Front reported more than an inch of precipitation, with nearly 2 inches in some areas near Ogden.
• October 6–October 8 - A cold, early season storm ushered in cold air, with 3 record lows and an astonishing 30 record low highs set during this period, including one record low high in Salt Lake City.
• October 13 - Lightning killed a man and injured two companions while they were camping in the Uinta Mountains.
• October 16–October 17 - Another cold Fall storm brought up to 20 inches of snow to Brighton, with heavy rain of almost an inch an a half accumulating in Davis County.

November

• Drought conditions remained the same across the state.
• November 10–November 11 - At least 7 record highs and 5 record high lows (including 1 in Salt Lake City) were set.
• November 17–November 19 - At least 38 record highs (36 of which were set just on the 18th and 19th) and 6 record high minimums were set during an exceptionally warm mid-November spell. Cedar City set a record high on all 3 days, while Salt Lake City set a record on 2 of them. Salt Lake City's temperature of 71 degrees on the 19th was the latest in the year a temperature so warm had ever been recorded.
• November 30–December 1 - A powerful storm hit the state, bringing widespread rain and snow to the state. More than 3 inches of rain fell in parts of southern Utah, while 1-2 feet of snow fell in the mountains, with the most occurring at Brian Head. The eastern and southern parts of the state were the hardest-hit, with 4-10 inches of snow in the eastern and central valleys, but an unexpected blast of snow brought 4-8 inches of snow along the Wasatch Front during the morning of the 1st. More than 250 traffic accidents occurred in Salt Lake and Utah Counties alone, while 1 person was killed in a traffic accident between Santaquin and Payson caused by the snow after a truck veered into the car he was driving.

December

• Some slight improvement was seen in the drought conditions in southwestern Utah. Otherwise, severe conditions remained across the western half, with moderate drought in the eastern half.
• It was the fourth-wettest December on record in Salt Lake City, with 3.35 inches of precipitation, including 29.8 inches of snow (the most since December 2003).
• Alta recorded a remarkable 149 inches (12 feet, 5 inches) of snow during the month.
• December 6–December 9 - A massive and slow-moving subtropical storm combined with a storm from the Pacific Northwest to bring significant precipitation across the entirety of Utah over a two and a half-day period. It turned to snow in all but the far southern part of the state by the afternoon of December 8. Approximately 4-11 inches of snow fell along the Wasatch Front, 8-24 inches along the Wasatch Back, with the most falling near Park City, and with a general 2-4 feet in the Wasatch Mountains. The ski resorts of the Wasatch Range saw at least 30 inches, with 47 inches at Brighton. At least 219 accidents were reported in Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber Counties. Up to 18,000 customers were without power at any one time. Significant snow of 6-10 inches also fell across the high valleys of eastern Utah. Although little snow fell in the valleys of Sanpete and Sevier Counties overall, Salina recorded an impressive 14 inches.
• December 20–December 22 - A massive Pacific storm moved into the state, with a general 4-12 inches of snow along the Wasatch Front, and 16-36 inches in the northern mountains (with the most falling at Snowbird and Alta). Approximately 8-16 inches of snow also fell along the Wasatch Back. This storm brought several inches of snow to many of the central and western valleys, as well, with 20 inches at the Brian Head Ski Resort and up to 6 inches in the eastern valleys.
• December 23 - A rare avalance within the boundaries of a ski resort occurred at The Canyons, engulfing 2 skiers, one of which was killed.
• December 24–December 25 - Yet another major Pacific storm moved into the state, with up to 20 inches in the mountains (at Alta) and a general 4-8 inches along the Wasatch Front. A man was killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling in the western Uinta Mountains on the 25th.
• December 28–December 31 - Another series of cold, Pacific storms moved through northern Utah, producing especially heavy snow in the mountains. Anywhere from 2-3 feet of snow fell in the mountains, with a maximum of 38 inches at Alta. The Ogden Valley in Weber County also did well, with 2 feet of snow recorded in Eden and Liberty. Yet another man was killed in an avalance while snowmobiling in the western Uinta Mountains on the 31st.