User:Runningonbrains/List of Utah tornadoes

Generally speaking, atmospheric conditions are rarely favorable for the development of tornadoes in Utah due to its dry climate and mountainous terrain. On fact, Utah ranks as having one of the lowest incidences of tornadoes in the nation, averaging only about two tornadoes per year, with only one F2 or stronger tornado once every seven years. From January 1950 to August 11, 2005, 121 tornadoes and 22 waterspouts have been reported in the state.

In the central U.S., tornadoes are commonly one-fourth of a mile wide and often cause considerable destruction and death. However, Utah tornadoes are usually smaller in size--often no more than 60 feet wide (at the base)--with a path length usually less than a mile and a life span of only a few seconds to a few minutes. They normally follow a path from a southwesterly to a northeasterly direction and usually precede the passage of a cold front.

About 73% of all Utah tornadoes have occurred in May, June, July and August, when severe thunderstorms occasionally frequent Utah. Also, 69% of all Utah tornadoes have occurred between the hours of Noon and 5:00 PM (MST), while 55% of all waterspouts have happened in the morning hours.

There have probably been more tornadoes and waterspouts in Utah than the following statistics and accounts indicate. In fact, in recent years an increasing number of these storms have been reported--probably due to Utah's increasing population and greater public awareness about twisters.

Pre–1950

Tornado, about 23 miles east of Wanship, up the Weber River in Summit County July 6, 1884; 1645 MST, 40 42' N', 111 03' W This was the first recorded tornado in Utah that caused any deaths or injuries. According to Deseret News newspaper reports of July 7-10, 1884, on July 6, 1884, a seven year-old girl, named Kitty Wells, was killed by a tornado while camping with her family in an area about 23 miles east of Wanship, up the Weber River in Summit County. The tornado also injured at least two other people. This is the first recorded tornado in Utah that causing any deaths or injuries. Here are some accounts of the tornado that were taken from articles that appeared in the Deseret News shortly after the event took place:

"The party which left [Salt Lake City] Saturday morning was composed of [16 people].... They reached Peoa, nine miles from Wanship, the same night, and stayed there till morning. Their journey up the canyon next day was exceedingly difficult, owing to storms of hail and rain, with thunder and lightning, experienced at intervals during the day. About the middle of the afternoon the party halted at a saw mill where they rested...but finally...being but a quarter of a mile from the camping place, desired to push on and put up their tents for the night. They reached their destination--a beautiful grove of timber, about twenty-three miles from Wanship--at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and the work of 'camping out' immediately commenced. One tent having been raised, the ladies and children all gathered in it for shelter, while the men were out putting up the others, making fires, tending teams, the cook getting supper ready, etc. In the center of the ladies' tent was large bale of bedding, not yet undone, and they were all sitting around it conversing, with the exception of Kitty Wells [a seven year old girl], who was standing on top of the bale. This was at fifteen minutes to six o'clock. Miss Kimball says that all at once she heard a whirling sound, swiftly approaching, and exclaimed to the others: 'something's coming,' but was laughed at by them, even after she had repeated her fears. Suddenly a terrific clap of thunder was heard, preceded by a blinding flash of lightning, the whirling or buzzing sound increased in intensity and before the frightened group could recover their speech, the fury of the tornado burst upon them. The whirlwind had made directly for the grove of pines in which the tent had been pitched, and tore through the woods with the force of a battery of artillery. Thirty trees were uprooted in an instant, twisted to splinters and dashed shivering to the ground. Three large pines fell with a crash right across the tent, the ridge pole gave way and one of the iron ends descending struck Miss Wells upon the right temple. Miss Kimball was hit, by one of the trees, across the back and right hip, and crushed with the rest of her companions under neath the falling ruin. The nurse girl, Miss Clark, received a slight injury in the foot. Mr. Frank Jennings, who with the other men had started for the tent on hearing the first sounds of the coming tornado, was felled to the earth by a tree as he was in the act of entering the tent, while the [male] cook narrowly escaped from a tree or branch, which flew past him with the speed of lightning, just grazing his skull.... The storm passed in a few seconds, making a roadway right through the forest and leaving devastation in its track. Miss Kittie was...bleeding from a ghastly wound in the head. She lived fifteen minutes afterwards and expired in her parents' arms. Miss Kimball and Miss Clark were the only others that were injured. The bale of bedding, which broke the fall of the trees and tent poles, undoubtedly saved several lives." (Deseret News, July 8, 1884)

"The tornado was about ten rods wide and struck the camp last evening. It tore up about thirty trees, three of which fell upon the tent, killing Miss Wells and injuring Miss Kimball and Mrs. Clark. Miss Kimball was severely hurt in the back and side, while Mrs. Clark's injuries were very slight." (Deseret News, July 7, 1884)

"Mr. Frank Jennings describes the appearance of the tornado which wrought the disaster at head of Weber Canyon, last Sunday, as follows: It was a great black cloud, funnel-shaped, eight or ten rods wide at the top, and narrowing down to about the width of a wagon road. It did not touch the ground, but now and then swooped down and rose again as it sped on its way. Its speed was almost as swift as thought, about it the air was in commotion and it whirled as it went, making a noise like the roaring of the waves of the sea. It twisted off branches of trees and shot them through the air with great velocity, broke in twain great trunks, three feet in diameter, and where it descended to the earth tore up threes by the roots. The grove in which the party's tent was pitched was one of the spots upon which it descended, and having crushed the tent and it inmates to the earth, lifted almost immediately, passed over and was lost to sight and hearing. 'It was a terrible sight,' says Mr. Jennings, 'one I had never seen before and never wish to see again.'" (Deseret News, July 9, 1884)

Tornado, near Lewiston, Cache County March 4, 1907, time unknown, 41 58'N, 111 53'W A tornado touched down near Lewiston, Cache County. No further information is available about this tornado.

Tornado, Millard County August 4, 1916, time unknown, 39 20'N, 113 30'W A tornado was reported in Millard County during August. No damage was reported. (The actual date of this tornado is estimate from cloudburst flood data: Woolley, 1946.)

Tornado, near Woods Cross, Davis County May 27, 1941, 1145 MST, 40 50'N, 111 55'W A funnel cloud initially formed over the Great Salt Lake in Davis County and appeared as an intensely black cloud from which the typical twisting funnel descended, flicking the ground in four places along a zigzag path a few rods wide and approximately ten miles long. The tornado destroyed a barn and a pigpen located two and one-fourth miles southwest of Woods Cross. The tornado then struck near the South Bountiful Ward meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It shattered windows and broke and uprooted trees and utility poles. The roof and walls of an old brick residence were torn away. The roof of the meeting house and nearby double garage were also demolished. The tornado also did slight damage to some residences and trees about a mile to the east of the meeting house. Total monetary damages were estimated at $4,000 to $5000.

On May 28, 1941, the Salt Lake Telegram newspaper reported the following information about the tornado: "Most of the damage, estimated at $5,000, was in the Bounitful area and was confined chiefly to farm buildings, telephone, telegraph and power lines. Parts of buildings were hurled almost 500 feet. Many windows were broken, and communication facilities between Salt Lake City and Ogden were partly disrupted 5 to 10 minutes. Power was cut off from about 100 homes around the Bountiful for almost an hour." The Salt Lake Telegram article was entitled "Botany Professor Gets Photos of Strange Utah Tornado," and contained the accompanying photographs of the tornado taken by Walter P. Cottam, a Professor of Botany at the University of Utah, who "was in Mueller Park, collecting plants for his botany classes, when he sighted the tornado, which had formed over [the] Great Salt Lake." Fortunately, Professor Cottam had a camera and "drove to the brow of the hill as the storm developed" and took what may be the first published photographs of a Utah twister. The Salt Lake Telegram article and pictures were obtained by Craig Wirth of News 4 Utah (KTVX) on May 14, 2000, from Mary Dringman, an 84-year-old resident of Salt Lake City, who had discovered the article and pictures in her mother's scrapbook.

Tornado, Young Ward (near College Ward), Cache County Intensity: F2 January 22, 1943, between 1400 and 1500 MST, 41 41'N, 111 54'W According to a Herald Journal newspaper report of January 29, 1943, "a week ago today...[or January 22, 1943, a] "cyclone struck" Young Ward "between 2 and 3 p.m. Friday in the midst of a severe snow storm, accompanied by heavy thunder and lightning. Above it all, the residents of Young Ward say, was heard the rumbling noise of the wind." The "buildings damaged lie within an area of a mile wide and two miles long."

Damages to chicken coops included: "part of one chicken coop [that] was blown...in a northeasterly direction for more than 200 yards," another "coop struck the roof of the home and then sailed over the house at a height of approximately 27 feet," and "a smaller coop, 22 feet by 31 feet, was carried into the air high over the three tops of the 45 feet high Black Willow trees standing closely together in a small grove, and boards from it were carried into a field more than a block away. Sheets of corrugated iron that had covered the coops were blown high into the air and carried more than three-quarters of a mile where they were scattered over the fields." Damages to other buildings included: "One third of the roof of a new barn, 40 feet square, was torn off and blown more than 200 yards away into the neighboring fields." A "large dairy barn...which previously had stood upright now resembles the leaning Tower of Pisa." A "garage for housing the school bus...is resting in Pelican Pond, about 100 yards from where it used to be." "Several tricks were played by the cyclone," including one woman who had "placed into a large cedar chest some baby clothes she had just ironed. The wind broke both windows, opened the lid to the cedar chest and carried the baby clothes through the window and out into the air." A short distance away, a man and two boys "were working in [a] chicken coop when the cyclone struck. The entire coop was lifted from its foundation and carried into the air, leaving [the man] and the boys standing on the floor. They didn't even get a scratch during the excitement."

Only one person was reportedly injured by the tornado: a seven-year-old girl, named Delores Olsen, who "was cut by flying glass in the face and on the head." Damage estimates reached "upwards of $8,000" and "many chickens were lost during the catastrophe. Some were killed in the coops and others were carried away by the wind."

1950–1999

Tornado, Farmington Canyon, Davis County and Morgan County June 5, 1953, 0900 MST, 41 00'N, 11 53'W A tornado moved up Farmington Canyon in Davis County. It reportedly traveled eight miles and crossed the county line into Morgan County. It caused no damage and did not touch down in a populated area.

Tornado, Kannarraville, Iron County July 14, 1953, 1700 MST, 37 30'N, 113 15'W A small twister hit the town of Kannarraville, Iron County. It broke limbs off trees and tore off the metal roof of a garage. It lasted ten minutes. (The day and hour of this tornado is estimated from cloudburst data and other severe weather activity in southwestern Utah.)

Tornado, Laketown, Rich County May 25, 1954, 1200 MST, 41 49'N, 111 19'W A possible tornado (although no funnel-shaped cloud was seen) occurred in Laketown, Rich County. Reports indicate that weather conditions became dark and that the wind began to blow violently from the southwest. There was dust, hay, straw, and tree twigs blowing in the air. There was a roar for two or three seconds and then the wind decreased. Damage was noted in an area four blocks long by two blocks wide. A chicken coop was moved eight feet and new barn was flattened. Also, a small outbuilding was tipped over and another barn was lifted high enough to clear an eight foot shed, turned half way around, and then allowed to fall to the ground where it was smashed. A few strips of metal roofing were blown off a structure.

Tornado, Maeser, Uintah County June 1, 1955, 1225 MST, 40 28'N, 109 34'W A tornado moved northwestward across Maeser in Uintah County. Damage was done to residences, farm buildings, and other various structures. Tree tops were sheared off and garden plants were destroyed. Roads were strewn with debris and communication lines were severed. About $1,200 in damage was reported as a result of the storm.

Tornado, Fayette, Sanpete County June 16, 1955, 1300 MST, 39 14'N, 111 50'W A tornado moved northeastward for over two and a half miles through the eastern section of Fayette, Sanpete County. Large trees were uprooted and large branches were twisted and torn from trees. Thirty-foot long poles that were a foot in diameter were blown 100 yards. Metal roofing was carried across the valley and wrapped around trees and posts. Monetary damage was estimated at $5,000.

Tornado, Fayette, Sanpete County June 16, 1955, 1300 MST, 39 14'N, 111 50'W A second tornado in as many minutes moved eastward just to the north of Fayette, Sanpete County in an undeveloped area. No damage was done.

Tornado, Salina, Sevier County August 7, 1957, 1730 MST, 38 57'N, 111 52'W A small tornado hit the western part of Salina, Sevier County. It tore the roofs from a turkey processing plant and a service station. It moved north to the town of Redmond and uprooted trees, downed power and telephone lines, and buckled television antennas.

Tornado, near Green River, Emery County and Grand County May 4, 1961, 1400 MST, 38 59'N, 110 10'W A tornado touched down near the town of Green River, Emery County and moved eastward across the Green River into Grand County before leaving the ground and ascending back into the clouds. The tornado traveled nearly nine and half miles.

Tornado, Grouse Creek Valley, Box Elder County July 9, 1962, 1430 MST, 41 30'N, 113 57'W A long, black tornado traveled across the Grouse Creek Valley, Box Elder County. It moved in a northerly direction and remained in contact with the ground for about 15 minutes. It extended up to about 2,000 feet above the ground. It tore up the ground under it but it did not cross an inhabited area.

Tornado, Bountiful, Davis County Intensity: F2 June 3, 1963, 1505 MST, 40 53'N, 111 53'W A damaging tornado hit Bountiful, Davis County and moved in an east-northeast direction. The roof of the Bountiful Elementary School was ripped off doing $20,000 damage. Debris was scattered over a half-mile area along the tornado path. The storm tore the roof from the west side of a house across the street from the school. This roof then landed on an automobile in a nearby yard. Half a block away, a roof was removed from a shed and dumped into a small orchard 200 yards away. A Boxelder tree was stripped of all its limbs. A cottonwood tree with a truck three feet across was broken off a few feet above the ground and carried over a house. Two blocks away, the tornado touched down again and destroyed a two-car cinder black garage. The tornado skipped a half-mile up hill and destroyed one home under construction and damaged several others. In the same vicinity, several sheets of three-fourths inch plywood were removed from a stack and blown 300 feet through the air. One piece of wood was driven six inches into a telephone pole.

Tornado, Gunnison, Sanpete County August 28, 1964, 1800 MST, 39 09'N, 111 50'W A small tornado moved across Gunnison, Sanpete County from the west. It moved in an east- southeast direction. The path of the tornado was 10 yards wide and three-fourths of a mile long. A chicken coop had its rear wall blown out. Three large plate glass windows in a service station were shattered, in the process damaging two automobiles. The roof of a garage was also torn off. Monetary damages were calculated to be over $2,000.

Tornado, Magna, Salt Lake County February 9, 1965, 0110 MST, 40 43'N, 112 06'W A tornado that developed ahead of a cold front in Magna, Salt Lake County, destroyed a three-car garage and 30 feet of a six-foot high steel reinforced cement block fence. The frame of the garage was lifted over vehicles that were parked inside, somewhat surprisingly leaving them undamaged. Debris were scattered along a west to east path 500 feet in length. A heavy piece of timber that was 16 feet long was carried 150 feet away and an old automobile battery was blown 50 feet.

Tornado, Woodruff, Rich County June 23, 1965, 1544 MST, 41 30'N, 111 09'W A small tornado occurred in Woodruff, Rich County. It was observed by the official National Weather Service climatological observer. The tornado's path was measured at one-third of a mile long and was 16 yards wide. It seriously damaged a 14 by 50 foot trailer at the home of the weather observer. Generally, the path of the tornado was over open fields.

Tornado, Tooele County June 25, 1965, 1410 MST, 40 45'N, 112 30'W An airplane pilot and some Utah state highway department employees observed a tornado about 35 miles west of Salt Lake City in Tooele County. It was on the ground about five to ten minutes but did not economic damage in that isolated location.

Tornado, Provo Canyon, Utah County July 9, 1965, 1530 MST, 40 22'N, 111 34'W Two small funnel clouds combined together and dropped from the clouds to form a tornado in the Vivian Park Resort area of Provo Canyon, Utah County. Two-foot diameter trees were toppled and a large tent was damaged. The tornado knocked over the wife of the manager of a trailer court but she was not injured. The tornado had a path one-third of a mile in length and was 20 yards wide.

Tornado, Tooele County August 9, 1965, 2010 MST, 40 45'N, 113 45'W A tornado touched down about 75 miles west of Salt Lake City in a remote, uninhabited part of Tooele County.

Tornado, Springville, Utah County April 17, 1966, 1450 MST, 40 09'N, 111 35'W One of two funnel clouds dipped from the clouds in Springville, Utah County, to become a tornado. As it moved northeastward it toppled a tree and lifted a roof from a house. Monetary damages were estimated at about $10,000.

Tornado, southwest of Ferron, Emery County May 9, 1966, 1330 MST, 39 03'N, 111 11'W A tornado touched down five to six miles southwest of Ferron, Emery County. No damage was reported.

Tornado, northwest of Bryce Canyon, Iron County June 16, 1967, 1400 MST, 38 00'N, 112 30'W An airplane pilot observed a tornado about 25 to 30 miles northwest of Bryce Canyon, Iron County. It occurred in open country and caused no reported damage.

Tornado, Emery, Emery County Intensity: F2 November 2, 1967, 0830 MST, 38 55'N, 111 15'W A cone-shaped tornado, 20 yards wide, completely destroyed the Last Chance Motel in Emery, Emery County. Furniture and bedding were strewn for hundreds of yards. There were no injuries but more than $15,000 in damage was tallied.

Tornado, northwest of Dugway Proving Grounds, Tooele County May 22, 1968, 1115 MST, 40 27'N, 113 03'W One of several funnel clouds touching the ground to become a tornado about 20 miles northwest of Dugway Proving Grounds, Tooele County. The funnel clouds were first sighted over Cedar Mountain. The tornado lasted for about nine minutes. There was no damage.

Tornado, West Weber, Weber County Intensity: F2 August 14, 1968, 1045 MST, 41 15'N, 112 05'W A tornado formed ahead of a storm front in West Weber, Weber County. It initially touched down in a wheat field and then moved in a northerly direction. It tore the roof from a milking parlor and lifted a man and boy off the ground and set them back down again. One of the man's legs was injured. The tornado ripped the roof from a barn and spread seven or eight tons of baled hay across the area. A storage shed was also destroyed. A new home that was occupied by a woman and four children was leveled but the occupants were not hurt. The roof of the home was deposited 120 feet away. Elsewhere, a truck and camper were lifted by the tornado and carried 30 to 40 feet and destroyed. A short distance away, the tornado damaged a barn, haystack and another home. Total damage was placed near $50,000. The tornado's path was 35 yards wide and had a length of one and one-half miles.

Tornado, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County August 14, 1968, 1155 MST, 40 46'N, 111 53'W A tornado moved through downtown Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County. The circulation was initially observed over the Salt Palace. The tornado then moved east-northeast across ZCMI and the University Club. Windows in the upper floors of ZCMI were shattered. The tornado was observed by personnel at the Wasatch Bureau Regional Office.

Tornado, near Collingston, Box Elder County August 14, 1968, 1335 MST, 41 50'N, 112 05'W A tornado moved across an open field near Collingston, Box Elder County. The storm retreated back into the clouds, crossed some nearby mountains and then touched down again in the wheat field in Cache Valley. No appreciable damage was done. The tornado was seen by a workman returning home from Cutler Dam. The tornado traveled over four miles and the path was 15 yards wide.

3 Tornadoes, Southwest of Hanksville, Wayne County May 31, 1969, 1152 MST, 38 20'N, 110 54'W An airplane pilot spotted three tornadoes about 10 miles southwest of Hanksville, Wayne County. The three twisters stirred up dust and then dissipated. They touched down in an uninhabited area so no economic damage was done.

Tornado, Anabella, Sevier County April 19, 1970, 1320 MST, 38 42'N, 112 04'W A tornado touched down in Anabella, Sevier County and damaged two trailers. The tornado "cut a path 40 feet wide and more than a mile long. A house trailer, measuring about 12 by 52 feet was lifted from its wood foundation and turned around about 90 degrees. Windows were broken in another nearby trailer." (Salt Lake Tribune, April 20, 1970). The tornado also "picked up and carried" a woman "about 30 feet as she was walking between her trailer home and a neighbor's place. `I don't know how far off the ground I was—a foot, I guess—but I know I wasn't touching the ground.... It was quite an experience,' [said the woman]. She said she had a headache after striking the ground." (Deseret News April 20, 1970.) According to a local newspaper, "the gust of wind picked...up [the woman] and tossed her end over katilt for about twenty feet like a tumble weed. Her invective embellished comment was: 'Well I've heard of the Flying Nun but I never thought I'd be one.'" (Richfield Reaper, April 1970.)

Tornado, Box Elder County June 5, 1970, 1520 MST, 41 19'N, 113 00'W A remote area of Box Elder County was visited by a tornado. An airline pilot spotted it about 50 miles west of Hill Air Force Base. No damage was reported.

Tornado, between Centerville and Farmington, Davis County June 10, 1970, 1305 MST, 40 56'N, 111 524'W A trio of three small funnel clouds spawned a tornado that touched down on the "lower [east] bench area" west of Bountiful Peak between Centerville and Farmington in Davis County. It tore up dirt and trees as it moved from the east bench up the mountain side. The tornado was photographed by a few people and one eyewitness said "it was at least 3,000 feet long, stretching out of a cloud in a very skinny rope like shape."

Tornado, Thompson, Grand County June 10, 1970, 1430 MST, 38 57'N, 109 43'W An eastbound tornado moved through Thompson, Grand County. It leveled two small frame structures and demolished a 12 by 50 foot mobile home. It also tore limbs from trees. The twister traveled about three-fourths of a mile.

Tornado, below Timpanogos Divide, Utah County December 2, 1970, 1503 MST, 40 24'N, 111 35'W A high-mountain white tornado (that picked up and carried snow) was spotted a little below Timpanogos Divide, Utah County. It traveled in a southwesterly direction about a mile. The tornado was about one-fourth of a mile wide. It carried snow to above 1,000 feet and toppled trees that were a foot in diameter. There was a loud roaring sound as the tornado dipped down across the divide. One man some distance from the core was knocked down but was not injured. The twister occurred at about the 8,000 foot elevation and was observed by Tom Walker, former superintendent of Timpanogos Cave National Monument.

Tornado, western shore of Utah Lake, Utah County September 2, 1971, 1900 MST, 40 10'N, 111 58'W A tornado touched down along the western shore of Utah Lake, Utah County. No damage occurred from this short-lived tornado.

Tornado, Ferron, Emery County May, 1978, 1100 MST, 39 5'N, 111 9'W During the latter part of Spring, 1978, a tornado touched down in Ferron, Utah. The tornado was on the ground for several minutes and traveled southeast to northwest for about three miles. It lifted the front porch off the house of Gene and Virginia Talbot and carried the porch over the hills behind [their] house... [for a distance of about] two blocks where it was dropped to the ground in two big pieces. The Talbot's photographed the tornado as it came towards their house.

Tornado, near Newton, Cache County May 6, 1981, 1145 MST, 41 52'N, 112 00'W A tornado touched down near Newton, Cache County, about 15 miles northwest of Logan. It moved northeast at about 30 miles per hour through an irrigation ditch and across a hayfield. It lifted water out of a ditch to a height of seven feet and also toppled some fence posts. The length of the tornado's path was about one-half mile by 100 yards wide.

Tornado, north of Hanksville Airport, Wayne County July 24, 1981, 1412 MST, 38 28'N, 110 42'W A well-photographed red tornado (carrying red soil and dirt) touched down about three miles north of the Hanksville Airport in Wayne County. It occurred over a desolate area and was seen and photographed by Barbara Ekker, the official Hanksville weather observer.

Tornado, northeast of Milford, Beaver County March 29, 1982, 1214 MST, 38 30'N, 112 53'W A white tornado was observed 16 miles northeast of Milford, Beaver County, by the official weather observer at Milford. It was on the ground about three minutes. It churned up the snow covered ground and did no damage in that remote area. It moved in a northeasterly direction.

Tornado, 20 miles north of Milford, Millard County May 3, 1982, 1234 MST, 38 46'N, 113 02'W For the second time in less than two months, a tornado was reported north of Milford. This one occurred about 20 miles north of the city in Millard County and caused no damage.

Waterspout & Tornado, Utah Lake, Provo, Utah County September 13, 1982, 1720 MST, 40 13'N, 111 43'W A waterspout over Utah Lake went ashore at the Provo Airport and damaged a security gate and small plane. The plane was tied down but the wind snapped the back wheel tie-down and flipped the plane on its back. The path of the storm was about one-half mile long.

Tornado, south of Provo, Utah County August 13, 1984, 1930 MST, 40 10'N, 111 40'W A tornado briefly touched down about five miles south of Provo near the eastern shore of Utah Lake. A wind gust of 89 miles-per-hour was recorded shortly thereafter on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo. No damage was reported although dust and debris was stirred up.

Tornado, south of Manti, Sanpete County August 15, 1984, 1400 MST, 39 11'N, 111 38'W A bulldozer driver spotted a tornado about five miles south of Manti, Sanpete County. It stayed on the ground for five minutes. The tornado kicked up dust and rocks and broke off fence posts.

Tornado, between Tremonton and Snowville, Box Elder County August 16, 1984, 1629 MST, 41 49'N, 112 28'W No damage occurred from a tornado that touched down near the Utah-Idaho border, between Tremonton and Snowville in Box Elder County.

Tornado, Box Elder County August 16, 1984, 1629 MST, 41 39'N, 112 28'W The second tornado in four minutes occurred in Box Elder County about 10 miles south of the first one. No damage was reported.

Tornado, Parker Mountains, Piute County August 19, 1984, 1500 MST, 38 25'N, 111 55'W A tornado was spotted near Otter Creek in the Parker Mountains area of Piute County. It was on the ground for 30 seconds and caused no economic damage.

Tornado, south of Roosevelt, Duchesne County September 11, 1984, 1445 MST, 40 09'N, 110 04'W A tornado was reported about 10 miles south of Roosevelt, near Myton, Duchesne County. A car was carried 30 feet by the twister. Two outhouses were knocked over and a pig pen was destroyed. Irrigation pipes were also scattered around the area.

Tornado, Beryl Junction, Iron County and Washington County May 30, 1986, 1730 MST, 37 40'N, 113 39'W A tornado was reported by an official weather observer near Beryl Junction, Iron County. It traveled 3.5 miles and was 200 yards wide. The associated thunderstorm winds split several trees that downed power lines which in turn caused a grass fire. The tornado crossed into the northern portion of Washington County.

Tornado, Canyonlands National Park, Wayne County August 31, 1986, 1430 MST, 38 22'N, 110 05'W A tornado was observed over the Island-in-the-Sky area of Canyonlands National Park, Wayne County. It was on the ground 10 minutes in an undeveloped area and was seen by tourists and personnel at the park.

Tornado, Kearns, Salt Lake County September 9, 1986, 1114 MST, 40 42'N, 112 03'W A tornado was spotted in a field in the Kearns area of the Salt Lake Valley. It lasted for a minute and did no damage.

Tornado, south of Lewiston, Cache County Intensity: F2 May 29, 1987, 1145 MST, 41 58'N, 111 53'W A tornado skipped along a 1,500 foot path about one and one-half miles south of Lewiston, Cache County. It left a path of moderate damage. The tornado was about 40 yards wide. The roof of a hay barn was removed and two calf pens were turned over. Two fruit trees and one pine tree were uprooted. Two other pine trees were twisted out of the ground and dropped on a fence. Monetary damage was estimated at $5,000. The tornado was well-photographed.

Tornado, Plymouth, Box Elder County August 25, 1987, 1135 MST, 41 53'N, 112 09'W A cold-air-funnel type tornado touched down briefly just west of Plymouth, then receded back into the clouds.

Tornado, east of Benson, Cache County August 25, 1987, 1205 MST, 41 48'N, 111 52'W A cold-air-funnel type tornado touched down briefly between Benson and the Logan Airport, then receded back into the clouds.

Tornado, Lapoint, Uintah County May 29, 1988, 1745 MST, 40 24'N, 109 48'W A tornado, with a 30 to 60 foot wide funnel, hit a home three-fourths of a mile south of the center of the town of Lapoint. It damaged the chimney and roof of the home, and also knocked down a utility pole. Total damage was estimated at $3,000.

Tornado, Sandy, Salt Lake County January 10, 1989, 0910 MST, 40 35'N, 111 53'W A tornado produced a fair amount of damage to a south Sandy neighborhood during the morning hours of January 10, 1989. The tornado path began at about 11683 South and 1400 East to near 11400 South and 1380 East. The tornado's path was ¼ mile long and about 25 yards wide. Significant damage occurred to three roofs with minor damage to three others. The tornado tore a gaping hole in one roof. A camper that was bolted down at all four corners was lifted and thrown upside down into the street. Several fences were sheared off and the fence material was strewn about the neighborhood. Asphalt shingles were driven ½ inch deep into both sides of one piece of the fence. A witness observed the tornado skipping down the street with debris blowing in a circular motion. Another witness said the tornado sounded like a train and caused his whole house to vibrate.

Tornado, Magna, Salt Lake County March 2, 1989, 1815 MST, 40 42'N, 112 06'W A tornado touched down near 3699 South and 7500 West. The storm produced a moderate amount of damage to the neighborhood, including tearing a swamp cooler from a roof, blowing away a small shed, throwing a trampoline into a tree, and breaking several windows.

Tornado, Hill Air Force Base, Davis County May 11, 1989, 1645 MST, 41 07'N, 111 58'W A small tornado briefly touched down south of a runway at Hill Air Force Base.

Tornado, Delta, Millard County June 7, 1989, 1555 MST, 39 11'N, 112 35'W A tornado was observed 10 to 15 miles south of Delta. The funnel was on the ground for approximately two to four minutes then receded back up into the clouds. The tornado occurred over a field and caused no damage to property.

Tornado, Midvale, Salt Lake County July 8, 1989, 1615 MST, 40 36'N, 111 54'W Strong microburst winds and a tornado hit the Midvale area just west of 1-15 at about 7200 South. Two minor injuries were reported from the winds: one from a motorcyclist who was tossed from his cycle onto the roadway, and another person that was hit by flying glass. The roof of a fertilizer company was blown off and/or damaged, boards from a lumber company embedded themselves in adjacent buildings, a boat and trailer from a car were blown onto the median, several windows were blown out of cars, a couple of semi-truck trailers were toppled, and numerous power outages occurred. Winds gusted to 53 mph in Holladay.

Tornado, Cornish, Cache County September 17, 1989, 1530 MST, 41 59'N, 111 57'W A small tornado briefly touched down in the town of Cornish at the end of the Cache Valley. It destroyed a barn and caused an estimated $25,000 in damages.

Tornado, Naples, Uintah County March 23, 1990, 1230 MST, 40 25'N, 109 30'W Several residents of Naples watched a funnel cloud touch down briefly. The tornado "ripped the roof off a storage shed...and slammed it through the bedroom wall of a mobile home." The "twister ripped the tin roof off [a] neighbor's shed and put a 2-foot by 4-foot piece of metal through the bedroom wall" of the mobile home, causing about $500 damage. (Deseret News, March 24, 1990.)

Tornado, northwest of Ogden, Weber County April 23, 1990, 1645 MST, 41 17'N, 112 03'W Three eyewitnesses reported a tornado at Farr West in the western part of Weber County (about five miles northwest of Ogden). The tornado was five to 15 yards wide, traveled only about one-tenth of a mile, and lasted less than a minute. Damage included: 20-25 shingles blown off an elementary school, a street light was damaged, a man was blown off a bike, a trampoline went airborne as high as a house, a swamp cooler was noted rolling down the road, and a picnic table was displaced from one yard to the one next door.

Tornado, south of Roosevelt, Duchesne County July 8, 1990, 1450 MST, 40 16'N, 110 00'W A tornado was reported to have momentarily touched down on a golf course about two miles south of Roosevelt. There was no damage.

Tornado, north of Magna, Salt Lake County August 16, 1990, 1410 MST, 40 44'N, 112 06'W A tornado was sighted along Interstate 80 in Magna by a motorist. It briefly touched down then dissipated. There were no injuries of damage.

Tornado, Erda, Tooele County July 25, 1991, 1800 MST, 40 35'N, 112 15'W A line of thunderstorms spawned a tornado in the Erda area just north of Tooele. The tornado moved from the southeast to the northwest for a distance of about 10 miles. It lasted for about 15 minutes, and its greatest width was about 100 yards wide. It uprooted a 60 foot tall dead tree, and split a 200 foot Cottonwood tree on a farm lot. The Cottonwood tree fell, and narrowly missed a house on the farm. Freshly cut alfalfa was displaced in half of a nearby field while hay on the other half of the field remained in neat, untouched rows. A field sprinkling system received minor damage. The tornado also tore a door off a mobile home that was on the farm lot, and damaged several trees.

Tornado, northwest of Green River, Emery County July 26, 1991, 1610 MST, 39 01'N, 110 13'W Strong thunderstorms produced a tornado that briefly touched down about three miles northwest of Green River. The tornado was observed by an Emery County Deputy Sheriff who said the time the tornado was on the ground was hard to determine because of considerable blowing dust in the area.

Tornado, west of Green River, Emery County July 26, 1991, 1615 MST, 38 59'N, 110 18'W Strong thunderstorms produced a tornado that briefly touched down about six miles west of Green River. The tornado was observed by an Emery County Deputy Sheriff who said the time the tornado was on the ground was hard to determine because of considerable blowing dust in the area.

Tornado, east of Beaver, Beaver County September 7, 1991, 1530 MST, 38 17'N, 112 32'W A 30-foot wide tornado was spotted by two people. The funnel cloud lasted five to ten minutes but only touched down briefly. Since this tornado occurred in open country, it caused no damage.

Tornado, Brigham City, Box Elder County September 10, 1991, 1200 MST, 41 31'N, 112 01'W A 30-foot wide tornado touched down in several spots in the southeast portion of Brigham City about 1200 MST. It was located in the vicinity of 100 East and 400 North. The tornado touched down in several spots in a four by four block area. It uprooted or damaged about 20 trees, destroyed a shed, and peeled siding off a house.

Tornado, west of Beaver, Beaver County May 21, 1992, 1115 West, 38 17'N, 112 51'W A 45-foot wide tornado was spotted about 10 miles west of Beaver by a person driving south on I-15. After the person spotted the tornado, it lifted back into the clouds within a minute. Therefore, the total amount of time the tornado was on the ground is unknown. The tornado occurred in open country, and caused no damage.

Tornado, near Kennecott Mines, Salt Lake County August 30, 1992, 1316 MST, 40 30'N, 112 06'W On the afternoon of August 30, a tornado was spotted by a number of people in the southwestern part of the Salt Lake Valley. It developed about 2:16 PM, near the Kennecott Mines on the Oquirrh Mountains, and lasted about 15 minutes as it moved eastward into West Kearns. The path length was less than one mile and it was 200 yards wide. As it passed over some power lines they arched. No damage or injuries were reported.

Tornado, near St. George, Washington County August 31, 1992, 1310 MST, 37 00'N, 113 28'W Thunderstorms that had developed over the southwest portion of Utah produced a tornado ten miles southeast of St. George. A pilot spotted this tornado, which was about 20 yards wide and only remained on the ground for a brief period of time.

Tornado, Syracuse, Davis County September 23, 1992, 1730 MST, 41 05'N, 112 04'W A tornado was sighted at 6:30 PM by several people in Syracuse. It was about 25 yards wide and lasted for 10 minutes—traveling nearly two miles over ground. It tore an 8' x 4' section from a roof, ripped the shingles off other roofs, uprooted two trees, and flying debris damaged some car windows. This tornado caused about $1,500 in damages.

Tornado, Caineville, Wayne County April 4, 1993, 1530 MST, 38 20'N, 111 01'W Thunderstorms in southeast Utah produced a tornado at Caineville. Caineville is 25 miles west of Hanksville in Wayne County. The tornado was seen by several people. The tornado touched down 100 yards west of a restaurant. As the tornado moved toward the restaurant it tore off tree limbs and scattered 48 to 60 pieces of plywood and 300 2x4's that had been lying around. After it passed by the restaurant, the tornado briefly lifted. When it came back down, the tornado lifted a six ton motor home one and a half to two feet off the ground and then slammed in down on its side. The tornado also picked up a boat and threw it into a fence. With a lot of debris and dirt still in circulation, the tornado went into an open field and lifted back into the sky. This tornado caused> about $8,000 in damages.

Tornado, Erda, Tooele County May 3, 1993, 1940 MST, 40 37'N, 112 18'W A tornado was reported at 8:40 PM in Erda, which is about five miles north of Tooele. The tornado destroyed the movie screen at the Motor Vu Drive-In Theater and turned over a trailer. A witness to the tornado was a woman who saw the screen "twisted in a whirling motion" as it was destroyed. Other objects in the area were untouched, lending credence to the idea of a tornado. This tornado caused about $50,000 in damages.

Tornado, near Leota, Uintah County May 5, 1993, 1840 MST, 40 11'N, 109 39'W A cold core funnel cloud produced a tornado near the town of Leota. It was spotted at 7:40 PM by a pilot flying south of Vernal. Because the tornado only lasted a few minutes and was in a sparsely populated region of the state, it caused no damage.

Tornado, North Salt Lake, Davis County June 2, 1993, 1620 MST, 40 50'N, 111 55'W A tornado was spawned by a thunderstorm cell at about 5:20 PM at the Center Street Park in North Salt Lake. The tornado was first seen as a funnel cloud to the southwest of the park. Everyone took cover before the tornado struck the ball field which displayed a hit and miss pattern of debris damage to the northeast of the ball field. It was on the ground less than five minutes. Two people received puncture wounds from flying debris and many individuals were covered with mud and dirt. Large tree limbs were broken and a couple of two-foot diameter trees were uprooted. Shingles were blown off some roofs and the fence surrounding the tennis court was damaged. The tornado also shattered three windows and bent the passenger door of the mini-van parked on the south end of the park. This tornado caused about $15,000 in damages.

Tornado, Chepeta Lake, Duchesne County Intensity: F3 August 11, 1993, 1750 MST, 40 50'N, 109 59'W A high-elevation tornado touched down three times near Chepeta Lake (elevation 10,500 feet) about 25 miles north of Roosevelt in the Ashley National Forest of the Uinta Mountains, at about 6:50 PM on August 11, 1993. During the evening of August 11th, a line of thunderstorms moved across the Uinta Mountains. Below the thunderstorms, a tornado touched down three times. Its path width was up to a half mile wide.

The first touchdown occurred 12 miles southwest of an area known as White Rock Drainage. Only minor unorganized damage to 20 acres of forest was reported at this location. The second touchdown was the most significant. At the west fork of the White Rock Drainage the tornado began to knock down and uproot trees over a 600 acre area. The tornado moved northeast along the drainage, throwing trees on the south side of the drainage to the north. Similarly, trees on the north side of the drainage were tossed to the south. This organized multi-directional> nature of the damage is a classic signature and confirms the presence of a tornado.

The tornado lifted once more before touching down for the third and final time near Chepeta Lake Drainage. Here the twister damaged over 400 acres of forest. A troop of 125 scouts were camped near the area of the third touchdown. No one was injured, but four vehicles were damaged by the tornado. One truck was destroyed when two large uprooted trees fell on the vehicle—totally collapsing the roof.

The highest elevation where damage was found was at 10,800 feet—which makes this tornado the highest mountain tornado ever reported in Utah. (High-elevation tornadoes are rare in Utah. On December 2, 1970, a tornado occurred at the 8,000 foot level below Timpanogos Divide.)

Tornado, Emigration Canyon, Salt Lake County November 5, 1993, 1545 MST, 40 40'N, 111 46'W A cold northwest flow over the Great Salt Lake produced snow squalls which spawned a weak tornado. The tornado was reported by several people, who described it as white at the top and brown at the bottom—indicating it was picking up dirt. The tornado lasted about three minutes.

Tornado, Centerville, Davis County July 29, 1995, 2015 MST, 40 55'N, 111 52'W Severe pre-frontal thunderstorms developed along the Wasatch Front a produced a "gustnado" in the Centerville area. Witnesses indicated they heard a sound like a freight train and saw both trees and dirt moving in circular motions. The overall damage path was about one-half mile long and less than 176 yards wide. (The NWS officially listed it as 0.2 miles long and 100 yards wide.) The gustnado moved from south to north, with it apparently skipping into the air, not causing damage along the entire path length. One witness was briefly lifted into the air as the gustnado passed over. One house incurred $10,000 in damage. They reported severe tree damage, had two skylights lifted from part of the roof, and had an electric junction box removed from the side of the house. Their next door neighbor reported that two inch diameter willow branches were removed from the tree, transported 100 feet and over a single story building, and were wrapped tightly around the base of another tree. At the third house, a flag pole that had previously withstood 90 mph winds was snapped. The gustnado bent a six foot chain fence to a 45 degree angle towards the east.

Tornado, Pleasant View, Weber County December 5, 1995, 2025 MST, 41 19'N, 112 00'W On the evening of December 5, a tornado touched down in Pleasant View, causing damage within a housing area about one-half mile long and 50 to 100 feet wide. The storm that produced the tornado moved west to east. Witnesses reported heavy rain, then small pea-size hail, and finally strong winds. One home sustained damage to roof shingles, a large portion of wooden fencing, and two sheds. Roofing shingles littered lawns at 3925 North. Many of the shingles were blown 300 to 600 feet away from their structures. The heaviest damage was at a home located on the corner of 900 West and 3925 North. At this home, three large 60-foot pine trees clumped near each other in the front yard were found leaning around 5 toward the east-southeast. The owner, who had lived there for 31 years, was in the attached garage at the time of the storm. He said he was going to take the garbage out to the street but waited in the garage until the rain and pea-sized hail had ended. As he started down the driveway, he heard a tremendous roar like a train and looked down the street to the west where he saw debris coming towards him. He quickly went back into his garage and closed the door. The tornado also damaged two homes under construction about 1/8 of a mile further east from the initial touchdown.

Tornado, near McCornick, Millard County May 28, 1996, 845 MST, 39 13'N, 112 25'W At 9:45 AM, a small short-lived tornado was observed southeast of Delta and northwest of Holden near McCornick. It was in an open field with no associated damage.

Tornado, Syracuse, Davis County May 29, 1996, 1620 MST, 41 06'N, 112 03'W At 5:20 PM, a small short-lived tornado touched down in a Syracuse subdivision just north of Antelope Drive. The intersection of 1000 West and 1575 South was hardest hit with numerous mature trees blown down. Only minor damage occurred to homes in this area. Eyewitnesses at this location saw the funnel.

Tornado, North Ogden, Weber County May 29, 1996, 1630 MST, 41 18'N, 111 58'W At 5:30 PM, an F1 tornado set down on the west side of Washington Boulevard at 2100 North in North Ogden. (An F1 tornado has winds of 73-112 mph.) The tornado path was very narrow--averaging about 100 feet-- and the twister traveled east along the north side of 2100 North for approximately 1-1/4 miles. The tornado path ended roughly ½ mile from the abrupt rise of the mountains. Two homes sustained major damage from trees falling on them. Automobiles in the parking lot at the Health Spa on Washington Boulevard were pushed sideways by the force of the wind and at least one vehicle sustained major damage from flying debris at that location. One home near the end of the tornado path lost 12-14 fully mature pine trees and numerous other mature trees were lost at a commercial trout fishing pond at the end of the tornado path. Amazingly, only one person--a woman--sustained slight injuries to her face from flying glass. Estimates of damage along the path of the tornado totaled about $500,000.

Tornado, near Allen's Ranch, Utah County April 5, 1997, 1530 MST, 40 03'N, 112 05'W At about 4:30 PM, a small tornado (rated FO) briefly touched down in an open field near Allen's Ranch in the Cedar Valley area of western Utah County. The tornado was the product of a cold core funnel cloud that touch the ground, and appeared to have a width of about fifty feet. It was captured on video tape by Scott Draper of Salt Lake City. No damage or injuries occurred.

Tornado, West Valley City, Salt Lake County May 8, 1998, 1515 MST, 40 43'N, 112 01'W At about 4:15 PM, a weak tornado (rated FO) was reported in West Valley City. The tornado touched down in a trailer park, resulting in minor damage. The winds damaged the awnings of two trailers, three trailers lost the skirting that went around the bottom of their structures, and another lost some shingles. The approximate damage area was 100 to 200 feet wide and 100 to 200 feet long. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 30 seconds. One observer said that after hearing a large noise he opened his door and could see debris--pieces of awning--swirling into the air. Fortunately, no one was injured by the flying debris.

Tornado, Roy, Weber County May 21, 1998, 1430 MST, 41 10'N, 112 01'W At about 3:30 PM, a tornado was reported in Roy. It damaged several roofs and fences, blew two trampolines 100 feet away from their original positions, picked up a yard shed and smashed it against a house, and ripped up a 40-year-old pine tree. No injuries were reported.

Tornado, West Point, Davis County May 21, 1998, 1430 MST, 41 07'N, 112 05'W At about 3:30 PM, a tornado was observed in West Point. Witnesses observed a garbage can being sucked up into the rotational vortex of the tornado and then saw it drop into a nearby field. A section of a roof was ripped off--including shingles, tar paper and wood--and a basketball hoop and stand was damaged. No injuries were reported.

Tornado, Layton, Davis County June 4, 1998, 400 MST, 41 50'N, 111 57'W About 5 AM on June 4, 1998, a tornado (F0) in Layton took the roof off a 60' x 150' hay barn that had hurricane straps (open on all sides) depositing a mangled mess in the field nearby. It also made a 50 foot strip in an adjacent hay field and deposited the hey on nearby power lines 50 feet in the air. Damage estimates were approximately $25,000.

Tornado, Newcastle, Iron County July 23, 1998, 1015 MST, 37 39'N, 113 32'W On July 23, 1998, a tornado was observed by several people just southeast of Newcastle in Iron County. The tornado occurred between 11:15-11:25 AM, briefly touching down for a few minutes just off of State Route 56. Tornado, near Kennecott, Salt Lake County July 24, 1998, 1215 MST, 40 27'N, 112 07W At 1:15pm on July 24, 1998, a tornado touched down over the old Kennecott dumping grounds south of Copperton in southwest Salt Lake County. It lasted for about ten to fifteen minutes and was photographed by Kathy Snarr of Bingham Canyon.

Tornado, Weber Memorial Campground, Weber County August 20, 1998, 1730 MST, 41 17'N, 111 35'W Around 6:30 PM on August 20, 1998, an F0-F1 tornado touched down briefly at the Weber Memorial Campground in the Causey area of Weber County (about 25 miles east of Ogden). Several eyewitnesses reported a sudden strong wind followed by a funnel that touched down and left a path of destruction about 50 yards wide and 300 yards long. The tornado touched down two or three times within the 300 yard path. The tornado uprooted some trees and scattered property over the area. Two structures were also damaged by falling trees. One tree was felled and crushed the cab of a pickup narrowly missing the sleeper in the bed where two women and their children had gone for shelter. One of the women and her son were taken to the McKay-Dee Hospital [and] were treated for injuries and then released. Several other campers [three or more people] also suffered minor injuries from flying debris.

Tornado, Emigration Canyon, Salt Lake County September 12, 1998, 1420 MST, 40 45'N, 111 47'W About 3:20 PM on September 12, 1998, a tornado briefly touched down on the hillside area near Emigration Oaks in Emigration Canyon with flying debris seen in the area.

Tornado, near Dutch John, Daggett County May 5, 1999, 1500 MST, 40 54'N, 109 13'W A tornado touched down over rangeland about 8 miles northwest of the Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. Debris was thrown about 300 feet into the air.

Tornado, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County Intensity: F2 August 11, 1999, 1141 MST, 40 46'N, 111 56'W Utah's Most Destructive Tornado!

Synoptic Analysis: On the morning of August 11, 1999, an upper level trough of colder air moved into northern Utah from Nevada. In advance, warm breezy southerly winds blew over the Salt Lake Valley. By Noon, there was evidence that either an old frontal boundary existed or a convergence zone had developed across the Salt Lake Valley due to breezes from the Great Salt Lake meeting up with the southerly winds that prevailed through the majority of the valley. The Salt Lake morning sounding indicated some vertical shearing of the winds (differences in wind speeds) along with the jet-stream over northern Utah. As this happened, thunderstorms began to form over the Oquirrhs in the Herriman area and over the south end of the Great Salt Lake/north end of the Oquirrhs in the Magna area. By 12:35 PM, there was a thunderstorm over the north portion of the Salt Lake Valley–with clouds tops extending up to 41,000 feet high–that rapidly intensified and generated a rare F2 tornado.

Event Analysis: On August 11, 1999, an F2 tornado (having winds of 113 to 157 mph) did considerable damage as it tracked northeastward across the metropolitan area of Salt Lake City. One person was killed and over 80 people were injured--with 15-20 serious injuries reported. The tornado produced F0 wind damage at 12:41 PM from about 400-500 South/Navajo (1340 West) to about 300 South/Goshen (1040 West). The tornado reached F2 strength by 12:45 PM.

From 300 South/1040 West the tornado tracked northeast producing widespread damage at the Delta Center–including the destruction of one of the large outdoor tents set up for the Outdoor Retailers Convention. The collapse of the large tent facility killed one man: Allen Crandy. The tornado also damaged the Wyndham Hotel, which had to be closed for several days until the damage could be repaired.

From the Wyndham Hotel, the tornado continued its northeast track, knocking down scaffolding and shearing off a crane at the site of the LDS Church's new Assembly Hall that was under construction. Next, it went up Capitol Hill and along the southeast side of the Capitol, through Memory Grove, and up along the northwest portion of the Avenues–just barely missing the LDS Hospital. It then lifted off the ground at about Edge Hill/Terrace Hill (20th Avenue and P Street). Along its path through the Avenues, houses experienced from minor to major damage, with hundreds of trees either uprooted or damaged. Throughout much of the tornado's destructive path, vehicles were tossed around and many were damaged or totaled by falling trees.

This F2 tornado was on the ground from 12:45 PM to 12:55 PM (10 minutes). It traveled a distance of about 3-3/4 miles, and had a width of about 100 to 200 yards. From F0 to F2 intensity, the tornado traveled 4-1/4 miles, lasted 14 minutes, and traversed an elevation difference of 1,095 feet (from 4,225 feet to 5,320 feet).

Here are some other facts and figures about this destructive tornado:

1 death. 80 injuries. 300 buildings or houses were damaged, with 34 homes left uninhabitable. 500 trees were destroyed, and another 300 trees were significantly damaged. A portion of Memory Grove was completely destroyed. A major power outage occurred in the downtown area of Salt Lake City, Capitol area and portions of the Avenues. Total damage estimates: about $170 million dollars.

Tornado, Naples, Uintah County September 3, 1999, 1430 MST, 40 25'N, 109 32'W At about 3:30 PM on September 3, 1999, an F1 tornado touched down in Naples in Uintah County. The tornado was on the ground of several minutes. Its destructive path averaged between 50 to 100 feet wide and was nearly four miles long. It uprooted trees, downed utility lines and damaged several buildings. One woman was slightly injured by flying debris. Preliminary damage estimates total more than $100,000.

2 Tornadoes, 20 miles south of Park Valley, Box Elder County September 19, 1999, 1415 MST, 41 37'N, 113 17'W At about 3:15 PM on September 19, 1999, two F0 tornadoes touched down at the same time in an uninhabited area 20 miles south of Park Valley in Box Elder County. The two twisters were on the ground for nearly three minutes, and were caused by a line of severe thunderstorms that also produced small hail and brief but heavy rain. The tornadoes were video-taped by Neville Reeves of Clearfield, Utah. This was the first time in Utah's history that two or more tornadoes were photographed or video-taped on the ground at the same time in the same area. (However, on May 31, 1969, three tornadoes touched down at the same time in an uninhabited area about 10 miles southwest of Hanksville in southeastern Utah.)

2000–present

Tornado, near Moab, Grand County April 18, 2000, 955 MST, 38 37'N, 109 33'W This tornado travelled across a drill rig site which was near the Slick Rock Campground. Fifteen people were at the drill rig site and took cover when they saw the tornado approaching. The tornado picked up rocks and other loose items, breaking out windows on a drill rig enclosure and a nearby truck. The tornado continued down a hill and uprooted several trees before dissipating.

Tornado, near Gunnison, Sanpete County May 24, 2000, 1600 MST, 39 9'N, 111 45'W At about 5:00 PM, a weak tornado (F0) was observed by a motorist traveling on Highway 89 about 5 miles east of Gunnison. It crossed the highway moving east northeast where it pelted the eyewitnesses car with mud/rocks and caused power lines to arc. The tornado was on the ground for 2-3 minutes.

Tornado, Holladay, Salt Lake County May 25, 2000 1720 MST, 40 39'N, 111 50'W Around 6:20 PM, a small tornado (F0) was observed in the Holladay area with a funnel cloud and possible touchdown earlier in West Jordan and Murray. The tornado ripped apart a sheet metal roof of the receiving dock at the Albertson's store in Holladay/Cottonwood. Just to the north, at the Goodyear Tire Store, several cars had their windows blown out and the store sustained some minor damage (roof and signs). Total damage was estimated at about $100,000.

Tornado, 10 miles NW of Panguitch, Iron County September 8, 2000, 1200 MST, 37 58'N, 112 28'W At about 1:00 pm a tornado was spotted just outside of Panguitch on Highway 20 which connects US 89 to I-15. It was reported on the ground for at least five minutes in open country. No damage was reported.

Tornado, 18 miles NW of Moab, Grand County September 8, 2000, 1625 MST, 38 48'N, 109 43'W A weak tornado was reported by two individuals traveling north on US Highway 191. The thunderstorm which produced this tornado had a green appearance.

Tornado, 10 miles SW of Price, Carbon County July 25, 2001, 1330 MST, 39 36'N, 110 48'W A weak tornado was observed about 10 miles southwest of the Price Airport. No damage occurred with what was deemed to be an F0 tornado.

Tornado, between Fairview and Birdseye, Sanpete County August 8, 2001, 1445 MST, 39 46'N, 111 29'W A weak tornado was spotted on the ground for about 10 minutes just west of Highway 89 between Fairview and Birdseye.

Tornado, Sugarhouse, Salt Lake County August 21, 2001, 1600 MST, 40 73'N, 111 81'W A weak (F0) tornado briefly touched down in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake City. No damage or injuries were reported.

Tornado, 6 miles SW of Milford, Beaver County September 4, 2001, 1315 MST, 38 23'N, 113 00'W A weak tornado was reported by the Beaver County Sheriff about 6 miles southwest of Milford. The tornado remained on the ground about 15 minutes before dissipating in the foothills northeast of Milford.

Tornado, 5 miles NNE of Centerfield, Sanpete County September 8, 2002, 1244 MST, 39 25'N, 111 64'W An F0 tornado was spotted on the ground 5 miles NNE of Centerfield over open country.

Tornado, South/East portions of Manti, Sanpete County Intensity: F2 September 8, 2002, 1250 MST, 39 26'N, 111 63'W An F2 tornado began one mile south-southwest of Manti and moved northeast through Southeast Manti. The first mile of the tornado path was across open land, however the tornado produced some remarkable damage at the start. A 10X12 foot pioneer building was lifted, rotated 90 degrees, and moved 8 feet before being dropped back to the ground. At the south end of Manti, the tornado struck the Anderson Lumber business and did substantial damage. A 40 foot semi-trailer, loaded with insulation, was lifted and thrown onto Its side approximately 35 to 40 feet away. A large amount of debris, along with a 10X10 foot wooden shed, was thrown across Highway 89 and over the hill some 200 to 300 feet away. The wide swath of the tornado did considerable damage as it moved through the residential area in Southeast Manti. As the tornado exited the residential area, where some of the heaviest damage occurred, a 26 foot camp trailer was lifted and thrown to the west-northwest some 150 to 200 feet and disintegrated. The tornado continued across open farmland another half a mile or so before dissipating near the mountains. It has been determined that this was a high-end F2 tornado, with winds as high as 157 mph. The distance traveled was 2.75 miles, and the width was 800 feet. Time on the ground was approximately 15 minutes. Estimated damage is around $2,000,000.

Tornado, Near Ephraim, Sanpete County September 12, 2002 1055 MST, 39 36'N, 111 59'W A small tornado (F0) was observed just west of Ephraim in Sanpete County. The tornado moved slowly to the northeast over open country before dissipating. This tornado remained on the ground for only a few seconds, but the funnel cloud was visible for about 10 minutes. Tornado, 20 miles SE of Hanksville, Wayne County September 12, 2002 1330 MST, 38 20'N, 110 45'W A small tornado (F0) was observed 20 miles southeast of Hanksville in Wayne County. It was on the ground over open country for a short time, and debris from the ground was observed rising before the funnel dissipated.

Tornado, 6 miles W of Green River, Emery County April 5, 2003 1226 MST, 38 98'N, 110 20'W A small tornado (F0) touched down 6 miles west of Green River in Emery County. It moved off to the northeast, doing little damage.

Tornado, near Richfield, Sevier County May 24, 2003 1245 MST, 38 84'N, 112 02'W A small tornado (F0) touched down between Richfield and Aurora in Sevier County. The tornado damaged a roof on a business.

Tornado, Payson, Utah County June 9, 2003 1519 MST, 40 03'N, 111 73'W A small tornado (F0) touched down in Payson in Utah County. The tornado damaged about 100 feet of vinyl fence and lifted a small aluminum boat off of its trailer. The path of the tornado was about 100 yards.

Tornado, 10 miles S of Levan, Juab County August 22, 2003 1320 MST, 39 44'N, 111 87'W A small tornado (F0) touched down near State Route 28 between Levan and Yuba Lake in Juab County. A UHP Trooper reported that the width was 100 feet, and that it stayed on the ground for one minute, picking up rocks and shrubs before dissipating.

Tornado, Richfield, Sevier County March 23, 2004 1520 MST, 38 45'N, 112 05'W An F0 tornado touched down along Main Street near the center of Richfield and moved ENE approximately two and one half blocks. The 911 dispatch in Richfield received their first call concerning the tornado at 323 PM MST. The caller reported several vehicles damaged in the Albertson's grocery store parking lot.

The funnel cloud appeared to have begun descending about one block west of Main Street near 300 South and 100 West streets. Small branches, laundry, and small toys were scattered around the yard of a resident living at that location. The tornado touched down onto 300 South Street at approximately 50 West. This is along the southern wall of the Albertson's grocery store. A vehicle parked on 300 South had the rear window blown out. Two vehicles parked near this vehicle but in the grocery store parking lot sustained damage as the rear end of the westmost vehicle was pushed into the other vehicle. It appears as though the damage to these three vehicles were a result of the tornado winds being funneled along the side of the grocery store. No damage was noted to the grocery store, signs, or any other vehicles in the parking lot.

The tornado moved NE across Main Street and between the Fire Department and the Central Utah Counseling Center. An employee of the counseling center said she arrived at work at exactly 326 PM MST and the tornado had just moved away from this location. The tornado tore aluminum siding loose from the north side of the counseling center. Debris in the form of a four foot by eight foot piece of steel one quarter inch thick was picked up from the Fire Department parking lot and thrown 40 to 60 feet to the ENE where it landed on, and damaged, three pickup trucks in the parking lot behind the Presbyterian Church. A man and his two sons were working in this area when they saw the tornado approaching. A double door steel garbage dumpster was also lifted from the Fire Dept. parking lot and thrown 20 to 30 feet ENE over a six foot chain link type fence which did not appear damaged. The three workers never saw the sheet of steel but ran for cover when they saw the dumpster rise 30 feet into the air. The sheet of steel came to rest 10 feet short of where the workers had vacated. A large piece of corrugated steel roofing was torn from the Fire Dept. Roof and deposited in the church's back yard. The church faces 200 South.

The tornado continued ENE through a small grove of trees which showed no damage. A double-wide mobile home just east of the trees had the swamp cooler torn off the roof but showed no other damage. At this point, the tornado crossed a small open area and across 100 East Street.

It was at 100 East and 200 South, where the tornado hit an old barn style garage broadside and lifted the roof off in one large piece. The roof traveled ENE approximately 40 feet hitting and severing power lines before hitting the neighbors front lawn another 20 feet further. The roof left an imprint in the neighbors lawn and was lifted and blown another 60 feet down and across 200 south before coming to rest in another neighbors front lawn. The roof hit a medium size Navajo Willow tree immediately after hitting the power lines breaking two thirds of the tree. This was the only tree I noted any damage. When the roof hit and severed the power lines, the resulting recoil of the power line caused three power poles to lean or nearly uproot.

No further damage was noted beyond this point. Several witnesses indicated the tornado traveled down 200 South Street and lifted at the intersection with 200 East Street. A debris and dust cloud was witnessed rotating above the treetop level for another 1/8 to 1/4 mile before dissipating.

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Tornado, near Woodruff, Rich County May 21, 2004 1000 MST, 41 52'N, 111 16'W A small tornado (F0) touched down near the town of Woodruff over open land. The tornado moved very little, and remained on the ground for approximately 10 minutes. No damage was reported.

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Tornado, 2 miles SE of Lehi, Utah County May 30, 2005 1000 MST, 40 38'N, 111 83'W A small tornado (F0) touched down along the Northeast shore of Utah Lake. No damage was reported.

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Tornado, 8 miles W of Duchesne, Duchesne County June 23, 2005 1318 MST, 40 18'N, 110 41'W A small tornado touched down just west of Duchesne, near Highway 40 around mile marker 83. No damage was reported.

Tornado, 2 miles NE of Mount Pleasant, Sanpete County June 25, 2005 1700 MST, 39 56'N, 111 43'W Several people witnessed a small tornado briefly touch down at Skyline Mountain Resort in Sanpete County. The tornado blew the roof off of a shed, and tipped over a motor home. There were no injuries.

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Tornado, 6 miles SW of West Point, Davis County August 3, 2005 1930 MST, 41 06'N, 112 18'W A small tornado touched down over the Great Salt Lake between Antelope Island and West Point. The tornado dissipated before reaching the shoreline, and no damage was reported.

Tornado, A few miles SW of Green River, Emery County June 8, 2006 1445 MST, 38 58'N, 110 10'W Several people witnessed a small (F0) tornado briefly touch down over open country just south of Interstate 70. It was described as rope-like and short lived.

Tornado, 5 miles S of Kanosh, Millard County July 27, 2006 time unknown, 38 78'N, 112 44'W A small (F0) tornado touched down over open country near Interstate 15 just south of Kanosh. No damage was reported.

Click here for a larger picture Tornado, Near Plymouth, Box Elder County July 25, 2007 1200 MST, 41 88'N, 112 14'W A tornado (F0) touched down over a grass field near Interstate 15 just west of Plymouth. Observers stated that it crossed the highway. No damage was reported.

Tornado, Willard, Box Elder County May 3, 2009 1850 MST, 41 41'N, 112 04'W A small (F0) tornado touched down in the town of Willard. An NWS survey team determined the tornado tracked approximately 1 mile. Several trees were uprooted or snapped, some siding was torn off homes, and an empty snowmobile trailer was tossed. There were no injuries.

References

• Utah's Tornadoes & Waterspouts — 1847 to the present NWS Salt Lake City

 This article incorporates public domain material from Utah's Tornadoes & Waterspouts - 1847 to the Present. United States Government. Retrieved 2009-05-12.