What canyon winds do to Davis County roofs — and what to check before the season
Roof damage from Davis County wind storms comes from east canyon winds that spill over the Wasatch and accelerate onto the bench — Centerville clocked 102 mph in December 2011, and the same Farmington intersection recorded 91 mph in 2016 and 99 mph in 2020. Gusts like that don't push shingles off; they lift them, starting at ridge caps, rakes, and eave edges on the east-facing slopes. The season runs fall through spring, so the time to check a roof is late summer: from the ground, look for lifted or creased tabs, missing ridge caps, loose flashing, and mismatched shingles from past repairs. After a storm, photograph damage before anyone touches it, and get any repair scope in writing before work starts.
Why Farmington and Centerville catch the worst of it
Davis County’s destructive winds are east winds. When a strong pressure gradient sets up across the Wasatch, air spills over the crest and accelerates downslope through the canyons, and the bench neighborhoods at the canyon mouths take it at full speed. The record here is a pattern, not bad luck:
- December 1, 2011 — gusts hit 102 mph in Centerville; at the peak, some 54,000 homes were without power.
- May 1, 2016 — a 91 mph gust at Park Lane and US 89 in Farmington; that same day, wind tore a section of roof off a Farmington home.
- September 8, 2020 — 99 mph at that same Farmington intersection, more than 170,000 homes and businesses without power, dozens of semis flipped on the interstates.
By March 2024, with another National Weather Service high wind warning in effect and forecasters warning of 85 mph gusts, KSL Newsradio was describing Farmington as the bullseye of Northern Utah’s major wind storms. Our office is in Farmington, so none of this is abstract to us — it shapes how we look at every roof on the bench.
Note the dates: September, December, March, May. The season effectively runs fall through spring, and high summer is the only reliably quiet stretch. That is why the pre-season check belongs in late August.
What 90+ mph gusts actually do to a shingle roof
Wind doesn’t push shingles off a roof — it lifts them. Air accelerating over ridges and edges creates uplift, so damage concentrates where uplift is highest and attachment is weakest:
- Ridge and hip caps go first. They sit at the point of maximum wind speed with the least material holding them down.
- Rakes and eaves are next. Once an edge shingle lifts, wind gets under its neighbors and unzips the course.
- The bond line fails quietly. Asphalt shingles depend on a heat-activated sealant strip. On an aging roof — or one installed in cold weather, where that sealant never fully set — gusts flex tabs until they crease. A creased shingle often stays on the roof and looks fine from the street, but it is broken at the bond line, waiting for the next event.
- Flashing and drip edge work loose. Metal at chimneys, sidewalls, and edges takes the same cyclic loading, and a lifted flashing leg is a leak path long before anything blows off.
One more thing specific to bench homes: the load is not symmetric. The east-facing slopes take the brunt event after event, so the wind side of a roof here ages faster than the lee side. A roof can be half worn out and half fine — which is why “the roof is only 15 years old” and “the east slope is failing” can both be true.
The late-summer check, from the ground
You don’t need to walk your roof; most of this is visible from the yard with binoculars:
- Lifted, wavy, or creased tabs on the east-facing slopes
- Ridge and hip caps that are cracked, loose, or missing
- Flashing lifting at chimneys and sidewalls; drip edge pulling away
- Patches of mismatched shingles — evidence of past wind repairs, and the most likely spot for a repeat failure
- Granules collecting in the gutters below the east slopes
- In the attic after any big wind: daylight at penetrations, or fresh water staining
A lifted tab found in August is a small repair. The same tab in a December event is an open roof.
What a wind-repair scope on paper should say
Every major wind event brings door-knockers. Whoever you hire, the scope should be written and specific — one number on one page is not a commitment. Look for:
- Which slopes and areas are being repaired, not just “repair roof”
- Ridge caps replaced with matching cap material, fastened for this exposure
- Sealing — how tabs get hand-sealed if the work happens in cold weather, when the factory sealant strip can’t activate on its own
- Flashing — which pieces are re-secured and which are replaced
- The honest verdict — whether this repair carries a sound roof through the season, or the shingle field is at the end of its life and replacement is the smarter move. Most full roof replacements: 2–4 days on site.
Scope, price, and timeline on paper before work starts is our standing offer — the written estimate is free. And before you sign with anyone, verify their license at dopl.utah.gov; ours is B100 General Building, license 11678454-5501.
FAQ
Common questions
How strong do the canyon winds actually get in Davis County?
Strong enough to top hurricane force with room to spare. Centerville recorded 102 mph in the December 2011 windstorm, and Farmington recorded 91 mph in May 2016 and 99 mph in September 2020 — the last two at the same intersection, Park Lane and US 89. These are recurring events, not freak ones, which is why KSL Newsradio has described Farmington as the bullseye of the major wind storms that hit Northern Utah.
Does homeowners insurance cover wind damage to a roof?
Wind is a commonly covered peril on homeowner policies, but every policy sets its own terms and deductible, so read yours or call your agent first. The process that protects you: photograph the damage from the ground before any repairs, keep any shingle pieces that came down, report the claim promptly, and get an independent written repair scope so you have something concrete to compare against the adjuster's assessment.
Can a wind-damaged roof be repaired, or does it need replacement?
It depends on what the wind revealed. A young roof that lost ridge caps or a course of shingles is usually a straightforward repair. An older roof with creased tabs across the whole east slope has a broken sealant bond that a patch cannot fix — the next event finds the same weakness. An honest written estimate tells you which situation you have and prices both paths.
When should I have my roof checked?
Late August, before the wind season opens — the 2020 storm hit on September 8, so don't count on early September staying quiet. Check again after any event with reported high winds, even if nothing is visibly missing, because creased shingles and lifted flashing rarely show from the street. Check from the ground or the attic yourself; stay off the roof.
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