The Great Blizzard Of 1993 Dumped 26 Inches Of Snow On Utah
By Sarah McCosham|Published March 05, 2021
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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