Wind gusts of 60 mph tore across Draper on Wednesday, July 29, after the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning at 7:25 p.m. MDT covering Salt Lake County and several neighboring counties.
The storm line stretched from 11 miles northeast of Weber State University to near Emigration Canyon to near West Jordan, moving east at 25 mph. Trained weather spotters confirmed the 60 mph gusts. The NWS also reported radar-indicated hail up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter.
Draper was explicitly named among more than 20 impacted communities, alongside Sandy, South Jordan, West Jordan, Riverton, and Cottonwood Heights. The NWS warned residents to expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
The system first struck Tooele County with winds up to 70 mph before tracking eastward into the Salt Lake Valley, Fox 13's Ryan Marion reported.
@SLCScanner: "The sky outside is getting dark. Buckle up."
The SLCScanner account, a Salt Lake City-area scanner feed, posted that observation Wednesday evening as the storm bore down. The post drew more than 7,100 impressions.
Warning expired, but gusty winds lingered
By 8:15 p.m., the NWS allowed the warning to expire, stating the storms had weakened below severe limits and no longer posed an immediate threat to life or property. Gusty winds remained possible with the weakening thunderstorms.
Cell phones across the warning area received Wireless Emergency Alerts, and the warning was also broadcast over the Emergency Alert System and NOAA Weather Radio.
Power outages limited
As of Thursday, July 30, Rocky Mountain Power reported 29 customers without electricity in Salt Lake County and 520 total outages statewide, according to PowerOutage.us.
No confirmed damage reports from Draper have surfaced.
Heat wave and fire risk ahead
Temperatures are forecast to climb sharply starting Friday, with the hottest weather expected Saturday, Aug. 1, and Sunday, Aug. 2, according to Fox 13. Valley areas face the greatest risk for heat-related illness, and overnight temperatures may stay warm enough to limit recovery.
Fire weather concerns are also expected to increase later this week as dry air, hot temperatures, and low humidity settle over much of Utah.
Residents who experienced storm damage can contact Draper Police at 801-840-4000 or Draper Fire at 801-576-6600 to file a report.
