The snowstorm that rolled into Utah late Tuesday and lingered most of Wednesday made for the snowiest Feb. 22 on record in Salt Lake City, according to the National Weather Service.
From midnight on Tuesday until midnight on Wednesday, 11.5 inches fell — breaking the previous record of 9.9 inches set for the date on Feb. 22, 1994.
The snowfall total Wednesday also tied for eighth on the all-time list of snowiest days in Salt Lake City, according to snowfall records that date back to 1874.
The top dates include:
1. Nov. 24, 1908 • 14 inches.
2. Oct. 18, 1984 • 13.8 inches.
3. Jan. 25, 1996 • 13.4 inches.
4. Dec. 28, 1972 • 12.6 inches.
5. March 24, 1916 • 12 inches.
6. April 10, 1974 • 11.8 inches.
7. Feb. 17, 2021 • 11.7 inches.
8. (tie) Feb. 22, 2023, and March 22, 1964 • 11.5 inches.
The Wednesday snowfall total does not factor in snow that began falling in Salt Lake City on Tuesday evening.
That two-day snowfall total amounted to 17.3 inches, which ranks ninth on a list of all-time, two-day snowfall totals.
The top spot on that two-day list was 20.4 inches, set on Feb. 24-25, 1998.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Runners negotiate a snow-covered path along Interstate 80 in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.
Other areas of the state received a lot more snow than Salt Lake City on Wednesday.
According to preliminary figures, those totals included: 21 inches in West Jordan; 20.5 inches in Midvale; 20 inches in South Jordan; 18.8 inches in Fort Union; 18 inches in Stansbury Park and West Jordan; 17.3 inches in Olympus Cove, 15 inches in Sandy and West Valley City; 14 inches in Cottonwood Heights, Park City and Riverton; and 12 inches in Provo and Spanish Fork.
[Read more: At Utah ski resorts, inches and snow reports don’t always add up]
According to National Weather Service records, Salt Lake City has recorded a total of 24 days with 10 or more inches of snow since 1874.
If you’re hoping for a quick end to winter, you probably don’t want to know that nine of those dates fell even later on the calendar — one in late February; six in March; and two in April. The latest was April 23, 1958, when 10.1 inches fell.
The latest spring snowstorm on record was June 6, 1914, though only 2 inches fell. The earliest fall snowstorm on record saw 2.2 inches on Sept. 17, 1965.
Though the recent storm brought a lot of snow, Salt Lake City has otherwise been relatively dry this month; with the exception of Tuesday and Wednesday, it saw just 3 inches of snow. Zero precipitation was recorded on Feb. 1-4, Feb. 7-17 and Feb. 20.
Forecast updates
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Cars are entombed in snow at the park-and-ride lot at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023.
In Salt Lake City, there’s a 20% chance of a bit more snow on Friday morning and Saturday night, and a 50% chance on Sunday, when 1-2 inches may fall, according to the National Weather Service.
Other parts of the state will see more snowfall. A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 2 p.m. Friday for the Wasatch Mountains north of Interstate 80 — including the cities of Mantua and Logan Summit — where 8-14 inches are expected, with even more in some areas.
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