February 1
In 1963, thunderstorms flooded the Provo City water line, destroyed over 500,000 fish at the Midway Fish Hatchery and damaged property in Heber. In 1985, the temperature dropped to minus 69 degrees in Logan Canyon. In 1989, a cold front produced winds of 61 mph at Milford. In 2003, record warmth hit Provo with at 64 degrees.
February 2
In 1910, severe winds ripped down phone wires from Salt Lake City northward. Parts of an embankment and railings along the Great Salt Lake were washed away by wind-whipped waves. In 1985, St. George received nearly one-fourth of their annual snowfall with one inch. In 1989, Magna received 20 inches of snow in 2 days while the Salt Lake Airport had a record 11.9 inches. In 2003, Alpine had 10 inches of snowfall.
February 3
In 1978, heavy snow in Helper caused a flat-roofed building to collapse. Also, one man in the area escaped injury when his aluminum carport awning crashed to the ground under the weight of heavy snow. In 2002, dense fog caused an 11-car pile-up on Interstate 80 near Tooele, killing 3 people and injuring several others.
February 4
In 1982, wind chill readings of 80 degrees below zero hit the Salt Lake Valley as 80 mph easterly canyon winds hit the area. In 1989, Santaquin was socked with 20 inches of snowfall. In 1998, a back country skier was injured by an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon. In 2006, a strong cold front brought 73 mph winds to Simpson Springs and 66 mph in Provo.
February 5
In 1906, heavy fog continued its grip on the Salt Lake Valley after being around for 2 weeks. In 1953, Utah's greatest 24-hour valley snowfall occurred at Kanosh with 35 inches. In 1982, Rich County experienced very cold weather as Randolph hit minus 44 degrees while Woodruff had minus 42 degrees. In 2004, a 3-day storm produced more than 3 feet of snow in the Oquirrhs.
February 6
In 1986, strong easterly canyon winds along the Wasatch Front toppled 2 semi-trucks, blew a small jet off the runway at Brigham City, and downed power lines in Kaysville. Farmington had a gust to 87 mph. In 1989, it was minus 54 degrees in Logan Canyon. In 1999, a snowshoer was killed by an avalanche below Lone Peak.
February 7
In 1929, St. George received 5 inches of snowfall. In 1949, hurricane-force winds combined with heavy snow to close roads throughout southern Utah. At least 2 men froze to death and schools were closed throughout the state. In 2000, Heber City set a record high temperature for the date at 58 degrees.
February 8
In 1953, Kanosh received 42 inches of snow with 4.43 inches of water in 2 days. In 1985, winds topped 105 mph atop Angle Station at Park City. The west side of the Salt Lake Valley became a parking lot as cars became stranded in wind-blown snowdrifts. In 2002, a cold front literally blew the Winter Olympics into Utah. In 2004, heavy snow caused more than 500 accidents in Utah, one of which killed a person in Provo Canyon.
February 9
In 1933, Salt Lake City plummeted to minus 30 degrees. In 1965, a tornado in Magna destroyed a three-car garage and 30 feet of a six-foot high steel reinforced cement block fence. In 1986, a 50-car pileup occurred on Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City as a result of glaze-covered roads.
February 10
In 1915, a 3-day storm began, producing 3.65 inches of rain in Elberta and 2.54 inches in Provo. Other totals included 3.13 inches in New Harmony, and 2.8 in Heber. In 1933, the lowest February temperature ever known in Provo occurred at minus 32 degrees. In 1975, strong winds of 65 mph caused the derailment of a chair lift and shut down the gondola at Park City Ski Resort.
February 11
In 1915, a total of 1.7 inches of rainfall flooded the streets in Provo. In 1982, Kanab received 6 inches of snow. In 1976, all Utah State Prison inmates were locked in their cells to prevent any escapes during a thick fog. In 1984, a foot of new snow was measured in Bountiful.
February 12
In 1986, nearly 3 feet of snow fell at Sundance's ski resort, resulting in an avalanche which destroyed a home, leaving only the pillars standing. In 1992, a huge storm produced 4 to 5 inches of rain in the mountains around St. George. Also, an avalanche in the La Sal Mountains killed 4 people. In 2000, an avalanche near Bridal Veil Falls briefly dammed the Provo River.
February 13
In 1885, a massive avalanche at Alta's Emma Mine covered three-fourths of the town and killed 16 people. In 1987, thunderstorms produced a wind gust of 70 mph in Logan. In 1989, thirteen inches of snow descended on Provo. In 1995, a major winter storm produced a wind gust to 120 mph at Sundance.
February 14
In 1910, strong winds destroyed 200 bathhouses at Saltair and waves on the Great Salt Lake washed out 4 miles of track belonging to the Western Pacific Railroad. In 2000, a 38-year old woman was killed by a falling tree in Brigham City as strong winds blew through the area.
February 15
In 1982, twenty-eight avalanches occurred in American Fork Canyon. In 1986, the mountains above Park City were lashed with 120 mph winds. In 1987, one man was killed by an avalanche near Twin Lakes Reservoir. In 2003, a back country skier died in an avalanche between Millcreek and Big Cottonwood Canyon.
February 16
In 1984, lake-effect snows off the Great Salt Lake dumped 2 feet of snow in Tooele. In 1986, a 4-day storm finally ended across Utah after dropping 3 to 5 inches of precipitation. In 2003, a roof on a restaurant in Kaysville was blown off by strong winds while 3 jet bridges were damaged at the Salt Lake Airport. In 2006, record snowfall hit northern Utah, causing hundreds of traffic accidents. Liberty had a two-day total of 21 inches while the Ogden Bench had 14 inches.
February 17
In 1926, a deadly snowslide in Bingham Canyon demolished 14 miners' cottages, a 3-story boarding house, and killed 36 people. In 1986, an avalanche in Provo Canyon destroyed a tourist shop and ripped up the road at Bridal Veil Falls. In 1993, strong south winds gusted to 68 mph in Kearns and 57 mph in Tooele.
February 18
In 1980, a flash flood along Kolob Creek drowned one woman. In 1983, strong winds in southern Utah knocked out power and phone lines, smashed windows, downed trees and toppled a 300-foot radio tower in Cedar City. In 1986, an 8-day rainstorm ended with nearly 10 inches of water falling at Deer Creek Dam, 11 inches in Wellsville, 5.3 inches at Midway, and 4.5 inches at Morgan.
February 19
In 1968, one man was killed by an avalanche in Rock Canyon. In 1986, winds to 119 mph were clocked atop Park City and 52 mph at Provo-BYU. Also, in 1986, a man was killed by an avalanche at Alta. In 2001, Powder Mountain received 12 inches of snow from a quick-hitting storm. In 2004, several roofs in Utah collapsed due to the weight of the ice and snow.
February 20
In 1971, easterly canyon winds gusted to 88 mph in northern Utah, destroying 12 mobile homes in Kaysville and toppling 8 moving railroad cars in Farmington. In 1996, a storm soaked Heber with 1.32 inches of rain. Nephi had 1.06 inches and Deer Creek Dam received 1.71 inches.
February 21
In 1897, St. George received its heaviest snowfall for so late in the season with 4 inches. With the fresh snow cover, the city dropped to 10 degrees the next morning. In 2003, a storm packing 75 mph winds and 1 to 2 feet of snow hit the Wasatch and Uinta mountains while the valleys remained relatively dry.
February 22
In 1922, ten inches of snow fell on Provo. In 1985, one man was killed by an avalanche at Powder Mountain. In 1993, blizzard conditions closed Interstate 80 for 7 hours between Echo Junction and the Wyoming border. In 2002, record warmth for the day excited Utahns as Milford hit 70 degrees!
February 23
In 1956 a cold front moving through Salt Lake City dropped the temperature from 57 degrees to 31 degrees in less than 4 hours. In 1993, thunder, lightning and snow livened things up over northern and central Utah. In 2002, record warmth hit Utah Valley as Springville hit 65 degrees while Orem was 64 degrees.
February 24
In 1993, some 2-day snowfall totals included 30 inches in Park City, 18 in Heber, 14 in Alpine, 11 in Provo and 2 inches in normally dry Wendover. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City received a record 1.23 inches of liquid water from the storm. In 2000, a rare February thunderstorm paid a wake-up call to residents in Pleasant Grove.
February 25
In 1987, Duck Creek, east of Cedar City, received 41 inches of snow. In 1998, a storm produced heavy snows in northern Utah, causing the closure of some private schools. Meanwhile, floodwaters near Gunlock caused minor flooding. In 2000, an avalanche in the Strawberry Bowl area hit buried 5 skiers; they all survived.
February 26
In 1962, Santaquin residents shoveled 14 inches of snowfall. In 1996, Springville was hit with 10 inches of snow. In 1997, eleven inches of snow fell on Spanish Fork. In 1998, an avalanche in Little Cottonwood Canyon hit the road, striking two cars and knocking them off the pavement. The occupants suffered only minor injuries.
February 27
In 1957, storms interrupted spring plowing, overtaxed storm sewers in Salt Lake City and retarded fruit bloom. In 2000, a ski patrol member at Snowbasin was seriously injured as an avalanche slammed him into a tree. In 2001, an avalanche at the Canyons Ski Resort killed one skier and buried another.
February 28
In 1922, strong winds in northern Utah caused property damage in Salt Lake City and along the railroad grades in the Great Salt Lake. In 1972, the thermometer topped out at 69 degrees in Salt Lake City, giving spring fever to most everyone. In 1983, Provo finished a 2-day storm with 1.91 inches of rain. In 2006, a mudslide occurred in Emigration Canyon due to rain combining with melting snow.
February 29
In 1960, leap-year day dawned very cold as temperatures across northern Utah dipped below zero. In 1988, a month-long dry spell came to an abrupt end as thunderstorms moved north across the state. Lightning knocked out the radar system on a United Airlines jet as it was landing in Salt Lake City. MARCH