Deseret News archives: Snow in Utah’s Dixie? It has happened through the years

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On Jan. 5, 1974, a major winter storm moved across southern Utah, dropping more than a foot of snow on Kanab and St. George and causing numerous traffic accidents.

Nationally, year-round daylight saving time had begun in the U.S. on a trial basis as a fuel-saving measure in response to the OPEC oil embargo.

But Californians, southern Nevadans and residents of Utah’s Dixie — where the sun always shined was dealing with a soggy storm track. The rarely seen snowstorms, snarled traffic all along I-15. Victorville, California, reported 21 inches of fluffy snow on Jan. 4.

In St. George, a storm had hit on New Year’s Day, then on Jan. 4-5, the snow hit the Arizona Strip, Washington and Kane counties and beyond.

According to the Deseret News, ”a population explosion of snowmen and snowball fights” were reported. The same Deseret News article reported many St. George residents walked to church rather than risk the drive on icy roads.

Storms in that area of the state — usually the Beehive State’s winter playground — are rare but not unheard of. Similar storms in 1894, 1919, 1993, 2006, 2007 and 2008 found their way into the record books.

But on Jan. 5, 10 inches fell in St. George.

Here are some articles from Deseret News archives about snow in southern Utah, why snowbirds love to fly to St. George and Utah’s weather history:

“Snow hits Utah from Ogden to St. George”

“Rare coating of snow in Dixie creates travel troubles”

“‘83 floods top Utah’s ‘disaster’ list: Tornado, avalanche, cold also rank high for century

“Snowbirds flocking to St. George”

“Rare snowstorm traps I-15 motorists overnight on Arizona Strip”

“Snow in Utah’s Dixie”

“The snow is a gift that I don’t really want anymore”