Looking to the east on North Temple Street...just west of Redwood Road

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 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. 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.

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.

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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

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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 4 1966 2 1986 3 2006 2 1967 2 1987 3 2007 1 1968 4 1988 1 . . 1969 3 1989 6 . . . . . . Total 124

January 1 July 15 February 1 August 24 March 4 September 21 April 7 October 0 May 29 November 2 June 18 December 2 . .   Total 124

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Number of Tornadoes by Hour (MST)	Number of Tornadoes by County
1:00 AM 1 1:00 PM 13 2:00 AM 0 2:00 PM 18 3:00 AM 0 3:00 PM 19 4:00 AM 0 4:00 PM 13 5:00 AM 1 5:00 PM 10 6:00 AM 0 6:00 PM 5 7:00 AM 0 7:00 PM 4 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 15 12 Midnight 0 Unknown 1 Total 124	Beaver 4 Piute 1 Box Elder 10 Rich 3 Cache 4 Salt Lake 15 Carbon 1 San Juan 0 Daggett 1 Sanpete 10 Davis 11 Sevier 4 Duchesne 4 Summit 0 Emery 8 Tooele 5 Garfield 1 Uintah 5 Grand 5 Utah 9 Iron 5 Wasatch 0 Juab 1 Washington 2 Kane 0 Wayne 7 Millard 4 Weber 6 Morgan 1 Total 127*

* 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.

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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.)

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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
$173,011,200+	Total

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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 probably 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

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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.

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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	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

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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. 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)

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."

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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.