Wasatch Windstorm of 1 December 2011

The Wasatch downslope windstorm of 1 December 2011 was one of the strongest on record in north-central Utah. Strong easterly winds overturned vehicles, blew out windows, and uprooted trees across the Salt Lake City area. Damage was estimated at $8m in Davis County alone, where a gust of 46 m/s (104 mph) was measured. A mini-field campaign was undertaken based on ultimately sound 48–24 h forecasts by operational and research models. Several portable weather stations were deployed ahead of the event and combined with upstream and downstream rawinsonde launches and mobile surface observations during the event. This case study also utilizes a dense network of MesoWest surface observations in combination with the field observations to highlight the pulsating winds and downstream rotor.