Posted in Utah History March 05, 2021 by

The Great Blizzard Of 1993 Dumped 26 Inches Of Snow On Utah

Where were you in January of 1993? If you were in Utah, you were buried under two feet of snow. The 1993 blizzard in Utah was six days of continuous, relentless snowfall, all across the state. This was a record-breaking snowstorm; so unyielding that state, county, and city road crews simply couldn’t keep up. The Utah National Guard was called in, and Governor Leavitt declared a state of emergency. When all was said and done, the Great Blizzard of 1993 dumped 26 inches of snow on Utah, shutting down the government, destroying countless homes, and costing the state upwards of $8 million. Today we’re reliving this record-breaking blizzard in Utah:

Utah is no stranger to snow.
Edgar Zuniga Jr./Flickr
Salt Lake City sees 60+ inches of snow in a typical winter, and the rest of the state sees substantial snowfall as well, excluding the far southern valleys.
Utah is known for incredible winter recreation, with some of the state's mountain ranges clocking in 500 inches of snowfall each year.
Jeff Williams/Flickr
Which, of course, shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Salt Lake City did host the Olympic Winter Games in 2002, after all.
Dave O/Flickr
But the winter of 1993 was different.
Ken Lund/Flickr
Just after ringing in the new year, a snow system of unprecedented proportions moved through Utah.
Between Jan. 5-11, a massive winter front arrived in Utah, bringing with it relentless, seemingly unending snow - around two feet of snow in under a week.
BleachedPink/iStock via Getty Images
The storm slammed Salt Lake City with 26 inches - the largest single snowstorm in the capital's history (a record that still stands).
The first wave hit - a solid, 6-8 inch snowfall - and meteorologists thought the worst had passed.
Brian Bonomo Photography/iStock via Getty Images
But they were wrong. The storm continued for nearly a week, increasing in intensity as the days dragged on.
jeffdement/iStock via Getty Images
No one could keep up with Mother Nature; not even the government.
Governor Mike Leavitt declared a state of emergency and the Utah National Guard was called in to assist with snow removal.
The National Guard/Flickr
By this point, the snow had accumulated to unmanageable heights, as crews were simply unable to keep pace with the snowfall.
The Utah National Guard arrived en masse, offering hope for the first time all week.
The National Guard/Flickr
In addition to strategically tackling city roads and highways, they also attended to residential streets and neighborhoods.
This snow not only shut down major highways (and even the state government), it also proved to be very devastating to Utahns.
Johner Images/Getty Images
The strain caused by this six-day storm resulted in collapsed roofs and immeasurable structural damages to countless homes. Residents resorted to using snow blowers on roofs, an unsafe measure that landed many in the hospital.
And then finally, on Jan. 11, the snow stopped... and the state breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Altus Photo Design/Moment Collection via Getty Images
But, that January would go on to become one of the snowiest in history, with Salt Lake City getting over 50 inches over the course of the month.
coia.nac/Flickr
And while we love our "powder days" here in Utah, the never-ending snowfall in January of 1993 was simply too much.

 

Do you remember the Blizzard of 1993? This epic Utah snowstorm was well over two decades ago, but it remains one of the worst in our state’s history — though the 2003 snowstorm sure came close.

Address: Utah, USA

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