Major wind storm to hit Northern Utah on Thursday
Mar 14, 2024, 11:44 AM | Updated: 4:00 pm
People on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, take photos and climb on a huge tree that was toppled by high winds in Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Tony Gliot, director of the Salt Lake City Urban Forestry Division, talked to members of the media from the park about the storm and the damage it caused in the city. (Steve Griffin/Deseret News)
(Steve Griffin/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY— A wind storm will barrel through Northern Utah today. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning from 9 a.m. Thursday to noon Friday.
Listen live at 4:45 p.m. for storm prep tips:
KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson said gusts between the Cache Valley to Salt Lake could reach 50 to 70 miles an hour in spots.
Johnson said that Davis and Weber Counties will be the hot spots, particularly between Ogden and Bountiful.
That area could see gusts between 60-80 mph. Johnson said the Farmington area could see gusts of 85 mph or greater.
Weather officials warn winds this strong could cause property damage, down trees, and cause power outages. The National Weather Service is encouraging people to secure things that could be blown around in the wind.
How to stay safe in tonight’s wind storm
Ahead of the wind storm, some experts gave tips on windstorm safety.
Firstly, Rocky Mountain Power spokesman John Whitesides said to secure anything that could blow away.
“We’ve seen all sorts of things come airborne. Even trampolines, people think that those couldn’t go airborne but we have seen them,” said Whitesides.
Secondly, Whitesides reminded residents to review their household emergency plans. Everyone in each home should know what to do in the case of an emergency.
In case of an outage, make sure that battery-powered electronics such as phones and laptops are fully charged.
Thirdly, Knight Transportation said that a truck with a trailer can fall over at wind speeds of 60 miles per hour.
Winds are forecasted to be strong enough to tip over a semi.
“Consider the sides of a large truck similar to the sails on a boat that catches the wind and moves the entire vehicle,” the company wrote on its website.
Finally, Whitesides said that Rocky Mountain Power is requesting that those who experience outages report them.
Rocky Mountain Power is surging response teams to Davis County ahead of the windstorm.
“What we do based upon those forecasts is we will bring in extra crews from other areas that won’t be as impacted,” said Whitesides.
Reporting outages will help the company’s response teams pinpoint areas quickly.
To report a power outage or see further tips, visit Rocky Mountain Power’s website. Alternatively, you can report them through the company’s app or by texting OUT to 759677.
A live map of where outages are happening in Utah, is also available on Rocky Mountain Power’s website.
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