SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It’s been pretty chilly in Utah lately — after all, it is winter. But it may seem like something is missing around downtown Salt Lake City: Snow.
ABC4’s Craig Wirth says it wasn’t always like this, and he has some film to show you if you’re missing the snowbanks and slick roads — just check the video player at the top of this article.
In January 1993, Utah was in a snow emergency — Wirth called it the “meanest, nastiest, disgusting, and most horrible January.” According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, more than 50 inches of snow were recorded at the Salt Lake City International Airport that month.
Remembering beloved radio DJ “Skinny” Johnny Mitchell
Like any good horror story, the five-day snowstorm started on a dark and stormy night, and the nightmare continued as a foggy day. Troopers knew they were in for it, as semi-trucks were jackknifed, some vehicles had their tires in the air, and other cars even wound up in a tree or a shed.
Most drivers seemed to park in snowbanks, except for one driver who drove into the lake.
After a few days, things weren’t looking too good. The city brought out a 30-year-old snow loader — called “the dinosaur” — that hadn’t been used for almost a decade. The National Guard had to come in and help dig out the city, too.
“This morning it snowed again,” then-Governor Mike Leavitt said. “At 8:15, we authorized the closure of the state government for the balance of the day. I will be declaring a state of emergency.”
The city and county had spent about $8 million in snow removal, and some crews were working 16-hour shifts to keep the roads open. By Jan. 11, 1993, roofs, houses, and carports were collapsing in the snow.
In Jan. 2025, there have been a few snow showers, but there is not as much snow as there has been in years past — and certainly not as much as there was in 1993.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.