Discover the Biggest October Snowstorm to Ever Hit Utah

Utah is a popular state for being an outdoor wonderland with many popular parts and ski resorts. The state of Utah gets 338″ of snow annually. Although Utah gets plenty of snow in the winter and even in the spring, it is rare for the state to get snow in October. Utah’s most recent large snowstorm belongs to the snowstorm on February 22, 2023, at 11.5 inches. That snowstorm shut down many roads yet created many memories for kids who were out of school. However, this wasn’t as large as the snowstorm back on October 18th, 1984.

*important to note before you continue reading: this article will discuss the largest snowstorm to hit a Utah city. There will be a later mention of several ski resorts regarding Utah’s average snowfall in October*

What Was The Largest Utah Snowstorm In October?

The largest October Utah snowstorm took place on October, 18th, 1984. That snowstorm was the second largest in Utah’s history at twenty-two inches! The October snowstorm in 1984 was a twenty-four-hour-long snowstorm. Autumn is an unusual season for Salt Lake City to get snow. It’s normal for the mountains to get a little bit of snow, but not for the city.

Several headlines read “trees down, car pileups abound, early snowstorm wreaks disaster.” Many cars were buried under the snow.

Highway patrol officers needed help to get cars out of the snow so they could help civilians get their cars out of snow and potentially dangerous situations. Ironic, right?

Emergency crew workers spent days and nights restoring power back to Salt Lake City and the surrounding counties. Newspapers were having a field day covering the snowstorm. One publication had a picture of a woman digging herself through the snow to use a payphone. The video above has the official photo from one of the local newspapers that day. College students at the University of Utah spent their day golfing in shorts at the university’s golf course.

Over 200,000 Utah residents were without power. Emergency shelters were established by officers for people who didn’t have any power. Temporary electronic generators were installed at senior living facilities.

What About The Roads And Airports?

That day was not a good day for drivers. Fifty-six cars were caught in a pileup on the 15 highway. Sixteen motorists were injured. Fortunately enough, no fatalities happened. Crew workers did not hesitate to clear up the roads. However, the roads were busy once again after crew members got rid of the snow. The Salt Lake City Airport had 18.6 inches of snow. The historic blizzard became the main reason for many flight delays that day.

Over 200,000 Utah residents were without power. Officers established emergency shelters for people who didn’t have any power. Temporary electronic generators were installed at senior living facilities.

Now, this snowstorm broke the record for the most snow in twenty-four hours at the airport. The previous record lasted a decade as the airport record was 18.1 inches between December 27th and 28th of 1972. Amazingly enough, the record still stands to this day.

The ski resorts reported over forty inches of snow that day. This unique snowstorm placed Utah’s national snow average for that year between three to four feet!

How Does This Compare To Other Utah Snowstorms?

To reiterate, this specific snowstorm is the largest snowstorm in Utah’s history. Now, there are other large snowstorms to acknowledge. Here’s a list of some of the other snowstorms that hit Utah and its capital Salt Lake City.

• November 14th, 1908 at 14.2 inches
• December 28th, 1972 at 12.6 inches
• January 26th, 1996 at 13.4 inches
• February 17th, 2021 at 11.7 inches
• March 24th, 1916 at 12 inches
• March 22nd, 1964, and February 22nd at 11.5 inches

However, in 2021, ski resorts saw an abnormal snowfall average. Alta Ski Resort averaged sixty-seven inches of snow. Solitude Mountain Resort averaged sixty-three inches of snow in October of 2021. The snowfall increased by 726%. It’s safe to say that the snowstorm back on October 18, 1984, was an abnormal situation. What made it even more odd was that the outskirts of Salt Lake City were not hit with the snowstorm that day.

Summary

The biggest October snowstorm to ever hit Utah took place on October 18, 1984. It resulted in over 22 inches of snow in Salt Lake City. However, multiple ski resorts nearby reported over forty inches of snow. Over 200,000 residents were without power for two days in some areas and three days in other areas. It still stands as Utah’s biggest snowstorm to this day!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Simplyphotos