Untitled Document

On August 11, 1999, an F2 tornado touched down in the metropolitan area of Salt Lake City. The tornado lasted ten minutes and killed one person, injured more than 80 people, and caused more than $170 million in damages. It was the most destructive tornado in Utah's history, and awakened the entire state's population to the fact that the Beehive State does experience 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 June 1, 2000, 97 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. However, sometimes people have mistaken whirlwinds (or dustdevils), microburst winds and other natural phenomena as tornadoes. Thus, every report of possible tornadic activity that appears in this publication has been carefully reviewed and analyzed to assure the greatest degree of accuracy possible.

Tornado Statistics for Utah: January 1950 to Present

Size of Tornadoes: Funnel diameter is usually 10 to 20 yards wide.
Largest reported funnel diameters: 440 yards wide on December 2, 1970; 800 feet wide on Septermber 8, 2002; 200 yards wide on May 30, 1986 and August 30, 1992; 100 to 200 yards wide on August 11, 1999; and 100 yards wide on May 6, 1981 and July 25, 1991.

Duration of Tornadoes: Usually only a few seconds to a few minutes.
Greatest amount of time on the ground: 15 minutes on July 9, 1962, July 25, 1991,
August 30, 1992, July 24, 1998 and September 8, 2002.

Color of Tornadoes: Usual color- gray or brown.
Other colors: black on July 9, 1962; red on July 24, 1981; and white on December 2,
1970 and March 29, 1982. Tornado Statistics for Utah: January 1950 to the Present

Number of Tornadoes by Year:

Number of Tornadoes by Month

1950	0	1970	5	1990	4
1951	0	1971	1	1991	5
1952	0	1972	0	1992	4
1953	2	1973	0	1993	6
1954	1	1974	0	1994	0
1955	3	1975	0	1995	2
1956	0	1976	0	1996	3
1957	1	1977	0	1997	1
1958	0	1978	1	1998	8
1959	0	1979	0	1999	5
1960	0	1980	0	2000	7
1961	1	1981	2	2001	4
1962	1	1982	3	2002	4
1963	1	1983	0	2003	4
1964	1	1984	6	2004	2
1965	5	1985	0	2005	1
1966	2	1986	3
1967	2	1987	3
1968	4	1988	1
1969	3	1989	6
				Total 118

January	1	July	13
February	1	August	23
March	4	September	21
April	7	October	0
May	29	November	2
June	15	December	2
		Total	118

Number of Tornadoes
by Hour (MST)

Number of Tornadoes
by County

1:00 AM	1	1:00 PM	12
2:00 AM	0	2:00 PM	17
3:00 AM	0	3:00 PM	19
4:00 AM	0	4:00 PM	13
5:00 AM	1	5:00 PM	9
6:00 AM	0	6:00 PM	5
7:00 AM	0	7:00 PM	3
8:00 AM	2	8:00 PM	3
9:00 AM	2	9:00 PM	0
10:00 AM	5	10:00 PM	0
11:00 AM	12	11:00 PM	0
12 Noon	14	12 Midnight	0
		Total	118

Beaver	4	Piute	1
Box Elder	9	Rich	3
Cache	4	Salt Lake	15
Carbon	1	San Juan	0
Daggett	1	Sanpete	9
Davis	10	Sevier	4
Duchesne	3	Summit	0
Emery	7	Tooele	5
Garfield	1	Uintah	5
Grand	5	Utah	9
Iron	5	Wasatch	0
Juab	1	Washington	2
Kane	0	Wayne	7
Millard	3	Weber	6
Morgan	1	Total	121*

* Three of the above numbered tornadoes were counted twice because they traveled across
county borders: June 5, 1953; May 4, 1961; and May 30, 1986.

Number of Injuries:	Number of Deaths:
2 people on July 8, 1989 1 male on August 14, 1968 1 female on April 19, 1970 1 male on April 23, 1990 2 people on June 2, 1993 1 female on May 29, 1996 5 people (or more) on August 20, 1998 80 people (or more) on August 11, 1999 1 female on September 3, 1999	1 male on August 11, 1999 (Note: 1 young female was killed on July 6, 1884.)

Stated Monetary Damage by Tornadoes

$1,200	June 1, 1955
$5,000	June 16, 1955
$20,000	June 3, 1963
$2,000	August 28, 1964
$10,000	April 17, 1966
$15,000	November 2, 1967
$50,000	August 14, 1968
$5,000	May 29, 1987
$3,000	May 29, 1988
$25,000	September 17, 1989
$500	March 23, 1990
$1,500	September 23, 1992
$8,000	April 4, 1993
$50,000	May 3, 1993
$15,000	June 2, 1993
$500,000	May 29, 1996
$170,000,000+	August 11, 1999
$100,000+	September 3, 1999
$100,000	May 25, 2000
$2,000,000	September 8, 2002
$100,000	March 23, 2004
$172,911,200+	Total

Utah's Strongest Tornadoes

F-scale ratings (from the Fujita Intensity Scale) have been assigned to these strong Utah
tornadoes based on damages caused by these twisters and their probable wind speeds:

F2	January 22, 1943	Young Ward
F2	June 3, 1963	Bountiful
F2	November 2, 1967	Emery
F2	August 14, 1968	West Weber
F2	May 29, 1987	Lewiston
F3	August 11, 1993	Uinta Mountains
F2	August 11, 1999	Salt Lake City
F2	September 8, 2002	Manti

Tornado Intensity Scale
Because tornado winds cannot be measured directly, atmospheric scientists use the Fujita Intensity Scale, or F-scale, to rate tornado intensity. The F-scale is determined by assessing the worst damage produced by a storm. The scale (taken from the book The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology, by Frederick K. Lutgens, 1998, pp. 253-255) is as follows:

F-scale Winds Expected Damages

F0	Less than 72 mph	Light Damage: Damage to chimneys and billboards, broken branches; shallow-rooted trees pushed over
F1	72-112 mph	Moderate Damage: The lower limit is near the beginning of hurricane wind speed. Surfaces peeled off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the road.
F2	113-157 mph	Considerable Damage: Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light-object missiles generated.
F3	158-206 mph	Severe Damage: Roofs and some walls torn off well- constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off ground and thrown.
F4	207-260 mph	Devastating Damage: Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5	Above 260 mph	Incredible Damage: Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distance to disintegrate; automobile-sized missiles fly through the air a farther than 100 meters; trees debarked; incredible phenomena occur.

Waterspout Statistics for Utah: January 1950 to Present

Location of Waterspouts

Number of Waterspouts by Month

Waterspouts over Great Salt Lake	12
Waterspouts over Utah Lake	4
Waterspouts over Bear Lake	6

January	0	July	2
February	0	August	4
March	0	September	9
April	0	October	2
May	3	November	1
June	1	December	0

Total 22

Number of Waterspouts
by Year

Number of Waterspouts
by Hours (MST)

1982 2

1985 2

1986 3

1987 3

1989 2

1992 2

1996 4

1998 4

Total 22

5:00 AM	1	12 Noon	1
6:00 AM	1	1:00 PM	2
7:00 AM	3	2:00 PM	2
8:00 AM	4	3:00 PM	0
9:00 AM	1	4:00 PM	1
10:00 AM	2	5:00 PM	4
11:00 AM	0	6:00 PM	0
		Total 22

Tornadoes and Waterspouts Before 1950

Waterspout, American Fork River, Utah County
August 19, 1869, time unknown, 40 27'N, 111 43'W
Utah's first officially reported tornadic activity occurred on August 19, 1869. It was
described as a "funnel-shaped waterspout" and apparently formed over the American Fork River
in American Fork Canyon, Utah County. Seven bridges were washed out and damages to roads
were estimated at $1,500.

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. It's 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)

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake County
August 16, 1889, time unknown, 40 44'N, 112 12'W
A waterspout was observed over the south part of the Great Salt Lake near Garfield
Beach, Salt Lake County. It lasted 30 minutes. The pavilion next to the railroad was covered by
an inch of water and an excursion boat was almost swamped.

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."

Tornadoes and Waterspouts from 1950 to the Present

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, Utah Lake, Utah County
July 28, 1982, 0700 MST, 40 21'N, 111 53'W
A waterspout was spotted over the northwest part of Utah Lake. It did not last long 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.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Tooele County
June 26, 1985, 0530 MST, 40 42'N, 112 10'W
A waterspout formed over the south end of the Great Salt Lake in Tooele County and could be seen 20 miles to the east. It was seen by more than a dozen experienced weather observers and was well photographed and videotaped before it dissipated over water. This waterspout was analyzed in a 30-page article entitled "A Great Salt Lake Waterspout," Monthly Weather Review, Volume 119, Number 12, December 1991, American Meteorological Society, Boston, MA. According to this article, "A waterspout funnel and spray ring were observed under the cumulus [cloud] line over the Great Salt Lake for about 5 min[utes] shortly after sunrise on 26 June 1985. Videotaped features strongly suggested that the funnel rotation was anticyclonic. ... The funnel was about 40 m [131.2 feet] across. Cloud base was approximately 800 m [2,624.6 feet] about lake level and the cloud tower above the funnel topped at about 5.5-6.5 km [3.4-4.0 miles] above lake level."

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Box Elder County
October 22, 1985, 1615 MST, 41 33'N, 112 52'W
A pilot reported a waterspout over the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County. It was estimated
to be 700 feet high and drew water up from the lake. The waterspout formed following the passage
of a cold front.

Waterspout, Utah Lake, Utah County
May 22, 1986, 0617 MST, 40 19'N, 111 50'W
A waterspout developed over Utah Lake, Utah County. A Utah County Deputy Sheriff saw
it touch the lake briefly. It formed beneath a thunderstorm. No damage was noted.

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.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Tooele County
September 10, 1986, 1000 MST, 40 50'N, 112 19'W
A railroad brakeman observed a waterspout over the south end of the Great Salt Lake, Tooele
County. It occurred between Antelope and Stansbury Islands and lasted 15 minutes. Water was
carried about a third of the way up the funnel. No damage was reported.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Weber County
September 30, 1986, 1220 MST, 41 10'N, 112 25'W
A short-lived waterspout touched the water of the Great Salt Lake in Weber County several
times before dissipating. A Utah Highway Patrolman who was located on the Antelope Causeway
spotted the waterspout about 10 to 15 miles northwest of the north end of Antelope Island.

Waterspout, Utah Lake, Utah County
May 2, 1987, 0905 MST, 40 10'N, 111 50'W
A well-developed waterspout formed over the south end of Utah Lake., It churned up the water for several minutes and was well-photographed by the public. It lasted for about 15-20
minutes.

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.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Weber County
August 15, 1987, 0710 MST, 41 12'N, 112 20'W
A pilot observed a waterspout over the Great Salt Lake west of Ogden.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Davis County
August 15, 1987, 0740 MST, 41 20'N, 112 04'W
Tower personnel at Hill Air Force Base observed a waterspout over the Great Salt Lake.

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.

Waterspout, Willard Bay, G.S.L., Box Elder County
August 24, 1989, 1030 MST, 41 52'N, 112 00'W
A Utah Highway Patrol Trooper spotted a waterspout over Willard Bay, on the east side of the Great Salt Lake. The waterspout lasted for approximately seven minutes, but never moved on shore or caused any damage.

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.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Davis County
November 26, 1989, 1300 MST, 40 53'N, 112 04'W
Several people saw a waterspout about 10 miles west of Bountiful over the Great Salt Lake.
The direction of the waterspout's movement could not be determined.

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.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake County
July 11, 1992, 1715 MST, 40 42'N, 112 16'W
A waterspout formed in a rain shaft over the south end of the Great Salt Lake during the early
evening of July 11th. It was observed by National Weather Service personnel, and lasted about 10
minutes. It dissipated before it moved over land.

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.

Waterspout, Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake County
August 30, 1992, 1428 MST, 40 42'N, 112 18'W
A pilot observed a waterspout over the south end of the Great Salt Lake around 3:28 PM, exactly 15 miles west of Salt Lake City. This waterspout touched down only temporarily and then dissipated.

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. It's 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.

4 Waterspouts, Bear Lake, Rich County
September 17, 1996, 830 MST, 41 52'N, 111 19'W
At about 9:30 AM, six funnels were spotted in the Bear Lake area. Four of these funnels touched the water and thereby became waterspouts. The waterspouts lifted some of the lake water a short distance into the air, but caused no damage. The waterspouts were seen and/or photographed by several people.

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