High Wind Blowing Dust March 30, 2010 Exceptional Event Monitored Exceedances in Northern Utah – Wasatch Front

Description of Event Dust plumes in Southwest Dessert moving towards Salt Lake City Southern wind ahead of a low pressure front that was moving into Utah from the northwest generated gusting winds clocked at 109 mph at Signal Mountain near St. George, 80 mph were reported at Ogden Peak, Sundance, Snowbasin and Cardiff Peak.

Temporal Extent

Temporal Extent

Exceptional Event?

Exceptional Event?

Conclusions The natural dust event was not reasonably controllable or preventable; The measured concentrations are beyond normal historical levels; There is a clear-causal connection between the high wind event and the exceedance at the monitoring station network; and The exceedance would not have occurred “but for” the high winds.