Environment & Outdoors

cedar city utah flash flooding with bulldozer in background...
Becky Bruce

Record rainfall in pictures: Flash flooding swamps Utah

We've collected photos you sent in along with some from official government sources and some we took during the flash flooding in Utah.
5 years ago
utah smoky air...
Karilyn Frazier

Utah ranked in top five worst in the world for air quality, smoke is to blame

Utah ranked in the top five in the world when it came to poor air quality on Thursday, in spite of a storm system moving into the region.
5 years ago
Murray flooding...
Nick Wyatt

Murray condo complex cleans up after flooding

As many as one dozen floor-level condo units in Murray were damaged due to flooding with several inches of water after heavy afternoon rainstorms Wednesday.
5 years ago
rainfall delta...
Paul Nelson

Rainfall record in Delta shattered, residents prepare for more flooding

Homes, schools, crops and the local hospital were all damaged and may need renovation by record rainfall and severe flooding in Delta, Utah.
5 years ago
I-215 flooded during storm watches and warnings...
Becky Bruce

Latest Utah storm watches and warnings, updated

SALT LAKE CITY — The National Weather Service expected a busy afternoon of severe storm watches and warnings as a band of thunderstorms moved into northern Utah. We’re adding them to this story as they come in.  3:28 p.m.: The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the areas of Birdseye and Thistle, […]
5 years ago
smoke air quality...
Mary Richards

Smoke lingering in the storm but should move out Thursday

It's rainy and windy, yet smoke continues to linger over the Wasatch Front, providing smoky skies and persistent poor air quality. 
5 years ago
The water level at Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US by volume, is at its lowest since it ...
Rachel Ramirez, CNN

First-ever water cuts declared for Colorado River in historic drought

The federal government on Monday declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time, triggering mandatory water consumption cuts for states in the Southwest, as climate change-fueled drought pushes the level in Lake Mead to unprecedented lows.
5 years ago
storms bring lightning and hail...
Mary Richards

Storms bring hail, thunder, lightning, wind, flooding and power outages

Storms knocked out power in northern Utah, with flooding closing schools in Delta and forcing the closure of slot canyons in Zion National Park.
5 years ago
FILE: A poor air quality day makes it hard to see the Utah Capitol building in Salt Lake City. (Rav...
Nick Wyatt

Experts worry more bad air days could bring more hospitalizations

Poor air quality days can increase the risk of infections in vulnerable populations, according to pulmonologists.
5 years ago
National Weather Service...
Colby Walker

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued for Tooele County

TOOELE, Utah — The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning expected to impact Tooele, Grantsville, Erda and Stnasbury Park until 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Wind gusts of up to 70 mph are expected and potential for quarter-sized hail.  “Take shelter now, this is a dangerous storm!” the agency wrote on Twitter.    […]
5 years ago
Monsoon season Utah: storm system coming, cloud seeding...
Mary Richards

Storm system coming may bring problems, cooler temps and cleaner air

We’ve got a storm system coming into Utah Tuesday and it could bring big problems.
5 years ago
BYU COUGAR KICKOFF...
Nick Wyatt

BYU cancels Cougar Kickoff fan event over bad air quality

The 16th annual Brigham Young University (BYU) Cougar Kickoff fan event scheduled for Tuesday evening has been canceled due to poor air quality.
5 years ago
Greogory Andre shows a photo of his brother Remossa Andre, who died during the earthquake in Camp-P...
EVENS SANON and COLLIN BINKLEY

Rescuers racing in Haiti as storm threatens to follow quake

LES CAYES, Haiti (AP) — The death toll from a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti soared on Sunday as rescuers raced to find survivors amid the rubble ahead of a potential deluge from an approaching tropical storm. Saturday’s earthquake left at least 724 dead and 2,800 injured in the Caribbean island nation, with thousands more […]
5 years ago
utah smoke forecast...
Becky Bruce

Smoke forecast to move back into northern Utah Saturday and Sunday

A shift in the high pressure system over Utah means the return of western wildfire smoke in the latest forecast, according to meteorologist Kevin Eubank.
5 years ago
survive flash flooding...
Curt Gresseth

How to survive flash flooding in a Utah slot canyon and elsewhere

One way to survive flash flooding in a slot canyon is to know your human limits. In other words, you cannot outrun the water and debris.
5 years ago
water infrastructure poll...
Curt Gresseth

Poll: Utahns want infrastructure bill money for water improvements in state

Utahns overwhelmingly support spending federal money from the infrastructure bill, which passed the US Senate, for water capacity and upgrades, conservation and reducing the risk of wildfires in the state, according to a recent poll.
5 years ago
Utah had better traditional fire season...
Nick Wyatt

Fire crews are managing to keep most wildfires small this year

Fire crews are managing to keep most wildfires below 10 acres this year.
5 years ago
wettest july car splashes through standing water...
Heather Kelly

July 2021 goes down as one of the wettest ever, but drought persists

More than 99% of Utah remains in "extreme" drought, even after July 2021 went down as one of the state's wettest months ever recorded.
5 years ago
utah smoky skies...
Paul Nelson

Utah doctors report rise in breathing problems likely due to smoky skies

Doctors are reporting an uptick in the number of people coming in with respiratory problems likely due to the smoky skies in Utah.
5 years ago
Colorado Department of Transportation crews work to clear I-70 in Glenwood Canyon after the interst...
THOMAS PEIPERT Associated Press

Colorado mudslides wreak havoc on major transportation route

Mudslides that ripped through western Colorado last month were the latest in a string of closures for I-70, a major transportation corridor.
5 years ago
(Rocks and mud left behind after a fatal flash flood near the Gentry Mountain Mine.  Photo courtesy...
Paul Nelson

Mine workers in Emery County get a large show of support after deadly flash flood

Emery County mine workers get large amount of support after deadly flood.
5 years ago
tips to keep smoke out of your house...
Lindsay Aerts

How to keep the smoke from getting in your house

SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City Health Department shared tips Friday on how to keep the smoke from getting in your house and mucking up your indoor air quality. “With wildfire smoke recently becoming more of a concern as fires burn in several western states, the Salt Lake County Health Department’s air quality […]
5 years ago
lake powell western water rights navajo nation glen canyon dam...
Dan Bammes

Glen Canyon Dam still generating power as California dam shuts down

PAGE, Ariz. — Glen Canyon Dam still has enough water to keep providing power, officials say.  Oroville, the dam upstream on the Feather River from Sacramento, California, had to shut down its power generation system this week because the water level dropped below the minimum level to continue operating. That had Utahns wondering whether the […]
5 years ago
utah smoky air...
Becky Bruce, Mark Jackson and Aimee Cobabe

It’s so smoky in Utah right now you can taste the air

Air quality will deteriorate throughout the day, as winds from the north and west continue to push smoky air from California and Oregon into northern Utah.
5 years ago