This picture is from my grandpa's backyard in North Logan. Winds knocked down many trees and fences in the neighborhood...
At 0700 UTC (1:00 AM local time), winds gusts exceeded 60 MPH in Brigham City.
Maximum wind gusts exceeding 40 MPH for the previous 24 hours at 1800 UTC (12:00 PM local time) are shown below...
The HRRR forecasts compared with HRRR 3-yr climatology shows this was an exceptional wind event for this time of year and location. Below shows that the wind speeds in northern Utah exceeded the 95th percentile wind speed by over 10 m/s.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 413 AM MDT Thu May 23 2019 .SYNOPSIS... The unsettled weather pattern with a trough over the western United States will continue through Friday. There will be somewhat of a hiatus Saturday into Sunday as the trough redevelops a little farther west allowing a drier southwest flow aloft to prevail. This new trough will move across Utah early next week. && .SHORT TERM (Through 00Z Monday)...Strong easterly winds have been blowing overnight across the northern Wasatch Front and Cache Valley. These winds are expected to remain strong through at least early morning as the 700mb winds remain above 35 kts from about Brigham City northward as well as across the Cache Valley. Farther south the winds have not been as strong as the 700mb winds near the Ogden area were forecast to only be 30 kts earlier this evening and are forecast to be down to under 20 kts by mid morning. May be able to drop the High Wind Warning highlight sooner than later, especially for Davis and Weber counties. The strength of these easterly winds downsloping along the northern Wasatch Front and Cache Valley has prevented showers from occurring overnight, but as these winds relax and the instability of the cold pocket aloft moves in from the south later this morning through this afternoon showers will become widespread.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Salt Lake City UT 1033 AM MDT Thu May 23 2019 .SYNOPSIS... The upper level low pressure over northwest Utah will maintain unsettled weather across much of the region through early Friday. The low pressure will exit the area and bring a break in widespread precipitation Friday night through the weekend. The next storm system will move across Utah early next week. && .DISCUSSION...The upper trough centered over the Great Basin is showing multiple circulation centers this morning. These circulations will consolidate into one center over northwest Utah this afternoon, then lift northeast toward the northern Plains later tonight through Friday. A residual upper trough will remain behind the exiting upper low, with this feature merging with the next upper low moving into the Pacific Northwest early in the weekend. The canyon/downslope high wind event for areas north of SLC is winding down late this morning. Decreasing easterly near 700 mb winds and the retreat of the tight northeast surface gradient back into western/central Wyoming signals the end of the strongest winds, though gusty easterly winds will continue through around mid-afternoon. Will keep the current High Wind Warning going through the scheduled expiration at 19Z.
