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WOODS CROSS — The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed that a tornado touched down twice in southern Davis County, creating "two separate swaths of damage" and winds up to 110 mph Thursday evening.
The tornado touched down in the area of Redwood Road and 800 West in North Salt Lake shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday from a line of thunderstorms that, among other things, led to a lightning delay of the University of Utah-Weber State football game in Salt Lake City. Meteorologists used radar and damage assessment to confirm video sent from residents that witnessed the twister.
It first produced EF-0 damage — winds between 65 and 85 mph — to "numerous" trees and several homes in the Cloverdale neighborhood before it moved into Woods Cross, according to an official report from the weather service. It also produced EF-0 damage to the Woods Cross Public Works building and a construction site as it began to increase in intensity.
The tornado that impacted Woods Cross and North Salt Lake yesterday has preliminarily been classified as an EF1 with winds possibly as high as 110 mph. This graphic shows the track of the tornado and summarizes the observed damage. #utwxpic.twitter.com/jmPAKUNbUb
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) September 4, 2021
It reached winds between 86 and 110 mph, or EF-1 status, along 1100 West, uprooting a tree that was considered healthy and mature. It also "leaned" a wooden power pole before it moved north and lifted off the ground near an oil refinery, according to the report.
Here is a photo of yesterday's tornado from North Salt Lake courtesy of Brandon Curry. #utwxpic.twitter.com/g9gRBxOqWp
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) September 4, 2021
The weather service said the tornado then touched down around in a field near 800 West. It again produced EF-0 damage, this time to a business as well as trees in the area. It finally dissipated near 1500 South and I-15 after about seven minutes after it first touched down.
"The preliminary rating for this tornado is EF-1 with winds possibly as high as 110 mph," the report concluded. "The tornado had an intermittent track length of nearly 2.5 miles over 7 minutes and a max width of approximately 350 yards with an average width of approximately 150 yards."
Other damage reported included a carport removed from its foundation and a construction trailer that tipped over.
No injuries were reported as a result of the tornado. While they are rare here, Utah does average about two tornadoes every year, according to the Climate Prediction Center.
