Calendar Year 2017 Climatological Summary
Temperature
Precipitation
Wind
Temperatures ranged from 101.6.7F on July 8 to -0.9F on January 6. Precipitation was above average at 20.23" with March having the highest mount with 4.09". As usual there is not much to say about the wind, as maximum was just 44 mph and the predominate direction was from the south southhwest.
December 2017 Climatological Summary
Dry and incredibly warm weather continued into December, the first month of the winter season. Only two days (4th, 13th) were days where the high temperature did not get above freezing (32 F 0 C). The low temperature for the month was 13 F (-10.5 C). The total precipitation was a meager 0.45 inches (1.1 cm) significantly less than 50% of normal. We will need a wetter than spring in order to prevent some water restrictions for next summer.
Overnight the first measurable snowfall of the season occurred. This event was about three weeks later than normal for the Salt Lake Valley.
November 2017 Climatological Summary
With the exception of one day (November 17), November was exceptionally dry. On November 17 a cold storm brought in 1.57 inches (3.99 cm). That one day alone was enough to bring the precipitation total up toward average. A small storm on November 27 added 0.13 inches (0.33 cm). Temperatures were very warm, easily exceeding normals for November. The highest was 71 F (21.7 C) reached on November 26. That is a very warm temperature so late in the season. The average date of the first measurable snow in the Salt Lake area is November 13. While a few flakes of snow fell on November 17, it was not enough to be "measurable snow".The warm temperatures, had a very negative impact on the ski industry. Without cold temperatures they cannot produce man-made snow. Without a significant change in the weather going forward, the area might not have enough snow and precipitation to support water needs next summer.
October 2017 Climatological Summary
October was exceptionally dry, just 0.08" (0.1 cm) of rain fell. Most of the rain fell on the first day of the month. Hopefully, the November will be much closer to normal. That said temperatures were slightly below normal, though the last half of the month brought out our typically nice sunny autumn days.
The high temperature for the month was 75.1 F (23.8 C) on October 19. Twelve days recorded below freezing temperatures 32 F (0 C).
September 2017 Climatological Summary
September 2017 is one of the strangest Septembers I can remember. It is true that back in 1971, 3-4 inches of snow fell in the Salt Lake valley. Yes, that was a singular strange event ever to occur in September in Salt Lake City. September 2017 was strange for two reasons. The west desert monsoon never got as far north as Salt Lake City but did have some effect in southern Utah. The wild part of September 2017 was 3.01 inches (7.6 cm) of rain that feel here in Sandy. All of that rain was from normal temperate latitude cold fronts dropping down over the area. Generally, such frequent cold fronts are not seen in September.
The cold fronts also brought very cool weather. After six of the first seven days of September recorded temperature above 90 F (32.2 C), the rest of the month was colder than normal. Temperatures almost reached 32 degrees F (0 C) on the morning of September 23, which would have been an early frost. Since September 13th the high temperatures have been consistently below 80 F (26.6 C). Temperatures above 80 F are not uncommon in October.
Early and unusual September cold fronts brought several inches of snow to the Wasatch mountains east of Salt Lake City.
August 2017 Climatological Summary
August 2017 was a bit warmer than normal and a bit dryer than normal. The normal western desert monsoon failed to provide much moisture this August. August 13 recorded the most precipitation with just 0.21" (0.53 cm). Just sixteen days recorded temperatures over 90 F (32.2 C).
The 91% partial solar eclipse caused a midday temperature drop of 6 F (3.3 C).
July 2017 Climatological Summary
July 2017 was a bit hotter than normal. Sandy had two days over 100 F (37.7 C), the Salt Lake airport had a few more than that. Twenty-seven days had high temperatures over 90 F (32.3 C). Precipitation was a bit above normal was the western desert monsoon kicked in on July 25-26, dumping 0.67" (1.7 cm). The lowest temperature for the month was 53 F (11.6 C). The highest wind speed was 29 mph (46 kph).
June 2017 Climatological Summary
June 2017 was pretty average. Often the first week in June is stormy, but that did not happen this year. The last half of June is normally bone dry and in that respect, June 2017 was perfectly normal. Only one day had any precipitation and that was 0.16" ( 0.4 cm) that fell on June 13. While the Salt Lake airport recorded a few days with temperatures over 100 F (37.7 C), our station in Sandy never quite reached that. The hottest day was 97.7 F ( 36.5 C) on June 26. So far the National Weather Service's long range forecast for summer (a bit hotter and drier than normal) is spot on.
May 2017 Climatological Summary
The National Weather service is calling for a bit warmer than normal and a bit wetter than normal for the Summer months of June, July, and August
April 2017 Climatological Summary
The most normal spring is years continued throughout April. March and April are traditionally the wettest months in Salt Lake City. This April was wet, very wet. At times it felt like perhaps the Pacific Northwest had come to Utah. 4.09" (10.4 cm) of precipitation was recorded at this Sandy station. Nine of the last thirteen days of this April had measurable precipitation. It is commonplace for stormy or fair weather to lock itself in for about 2 weeks. A common pattern with the polar jet stream.
There were 10 days in April where the temperature fell below freezing (32 F., 0 C) including the last day of the month. Such was abnormal for April, retarding the normal development of many types of plants, as well as keeping those who had planted earlier in the month on their toes to prevent outdoor plants from damage due to freezing.
April 9, 2016 - April Snow
Last night snow fell all over the Salt Lake Valley, about 3 inches (7.6 cm) fell at my home. Snow is April in Salt Lake is not unusual, rather it is a common event. The trouble is, the last several years have not been typical, with warmer and drier than normal weather prevailing. The total of over 3 inches for the month was clearly on the wet side.
March 2017 Climatological Summary
The first 21 days of March 2017 were quite warm and dry. It appeared that our normal winter and spring weather pattern had broken for an unusually warm start to the month
Then the last 10 days of March were radically different, stormy and very wet. It rained on 8 of those 10 days. The total precipitation for that period 3.38 inches (8.6 cm). Perhaps the wettest 10 days in the Salt Lake area that I have ever experienced. The highest temperature for the month 67.9 (19.4 C) on the 9th while the coldest temperature of the month 14.8 (-9.5 C) occurred on the 26th. The winds were exceptionally strong for 2 days March 20 and 21.
We've had so much precipitation this winter and spring, that water planners are now deciding how much water they have to release from reservoirs and still enable the reservoir to fill to 100% from spring runoff.
The last few days in the Salt Lake City area have been exceptionally wet. Here are the totals at my home:
- Wednesday March 22 0.19 in 0.48cm
- Thursday March 23 1.57 in 3.99cm
- Saturday March 25 0.71 in 1.80cm
Total: 2.47 in or 6.27cm or 12% of Salt Lake average annual rainfall. The weather around April conference is often very rainy, but these last few days have been "off the charts". Current forecasts call for some rain in three of the next seven days!
February 2017 Climatological Summary
The first 10 days of February were warm and dry, some people thought that Spring had come early. That conclusion was totally dashed when the 10th of February arrived bringing snow and a full inch (2.5 cm) of precipitation over two days. The 19th through the 24 was also stormy, bringing an additional 1.57 inches (4.0 cm). Temperatures averaged just a bit above normal ad the first 10 days were warm. February 3-10 all had high temperatures above 50 F (10 C). The high temperature of 67.6 F (20.3 C) was reached on February 9. Meanwhile the low temperature for the month was reached on February 26 at 14.8 F (-9.5 C). Winds ahead of the storms on February 9, 20-21 reached almost 40 mph.
January 2017 Climatological Summary
The near normal Winter of 2016-17 continued in January 2017. January was appropriately COLD and WET. The mean temperature was 27.3 F (-2.6 C). The total precipitation was 2.33" (8.5 cm). The coldest day of the year usually happens between December 20 and January 10. This year was no exception as the low for the season was reached on January 6th at -0.9 F (-18.3 C). Oddly the high for the month came just 2 days later when the temperature hit 54 F (12.2 C). The first 20 days of January were quite stormy, while the last 10 were dry. That dryness carried on into the first weeks for February.
Weather data and basic software provided by Davis Instruments Weather Vue. See Davis Instruments for more details.
The meteorologist in charge at SandyWeather.com is Reed B. Haslam, M.S. Meteorology (1980), M.S. Computer Science (1981), University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.