C182 SKYLANE ACFT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PAX ENCOUNTERED WX WHICH HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED OR EXPECTED RESULTING IN RPTR PLT TRYING TO FIND A SUITABLE ARPT TO LAND. PVW WAS THE BEST OPTION AND RPTR LANDED ON CLOSED RWY. ARPT MGR WAS INCENSED.

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FLT: THERE WERE 2 PAX ABOARD A LAW ENFORCEMENT FLT FROM RICHFIELD TO SALT LAKE CITY; UT; IN A CESSNA TR-182 SKYLANE. PLT WAS BRIEFED ON ALL WX CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED EXCEPT WHEN FRONTAL PASSAGE WAS TO OCCUR AT SALT LAKE CITY. CONDITIONS: THERE WERE STRONG S WINDS 30-35 KTS; AN APCHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NW; SLC ATIS RPTED 30 KTS GUSTING TO 39 KTS AT 340 DEGS (PEAK GUST 58 KTS); RAIN AND TSTMS RPTED IN SALT LAKE CITY (FRONTAL PASSAGE). VISIBILITY DIMINISHING WITH RAIN AND DUST. WHAT HAPPENED: I WAS 40 MINS INTO A 1 HR FLT FROM RICHFIELD TO SLC. I HAD BEEN PUSHED BY A 30-35 KT S WIND. TYPICAL OF AN APCHING STORM (AS FORECAST). ATIS RPTED SLC CONDITIONS WERE: WINDS 30 KTS GUSTING TO 39 KTS; RAIN AND TSTMS; HAZARDOUS WX AVAILABLE FROM FSS. THE PEAK GUST WAS LATER RPTED AT 58 KTS. AS I PROCEEDED TO PROVO ARPT (AS AN OPTION) THE FRONT WAS GOING ACROSS THE ARPT. SEVERAL PLTS WERE DISCUSSING OPTIONS INCLUDING DIVERTING TO ANOTHER ARPT. TURB WAS MODERATE TO SEVERE. I SLOWED TO MANEUVER SPD AND PENETRATED THE FRONT. THEN I PROCEEDED TOWARD SALT LAKE. AT AN AREA CALLED 'POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN;' THE TURB BECAME DANGEROUS AND SKIRTING THE HIGHER TERRAIN ALSO BECAME BLOCKED WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING. I RETURNED TO PROVO ARPT. CURRENT OPTIONS: 1) LAND AT PROVO; THE ACTIVE RWY 36 PRESENTED A DANGEROUS XWIND (WIND 300 DEGS AT 30 KTS PLUS WIND SHEAR PROBABLE); RWY 31 CLOSED (NO OBSTRUCTIONS OR OBSTACLES). 2) LAND AT SPANISH FORK ARPT 10 MI S; FRONT WAS PASSING OVER IT AT THIS TIME (NO GOOD). 3) LAND AT HEBER ARPT; 30 MI E. THIS WAS NO GOOD DUE TO A HIGH NARROW CANYON WHICH WOULD SURELY HAVE HAD EXTREME TURB. 4) REMAIN AIRBORNE WHILE CONDITIONS CHANGED. THIS WAS NO GOOD BECAUSE IFR CONDITIONS (RAIN; ETC) WERE FORESEEN. COURSE OF ACTION: AFTER DISCUSSING WITH UNICOM THE CONDITION OF THE CLOSED RWY (RWY 31); AND CAREFULLY CONSIDERING THE SERVER WIND CONDITION AND STUDYING THE CONDITION OF THE CLOSED RWY; I CONSIDERED THE SAFEST LNDG WOULD BE TO LAND ON THE CLOSED RWY. THE LNDG WAS MADE WITH A VERY SHORT ROLLOUT AND GOOD VISIBILITY OF ANY POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE CLOSED RWY. NO OTHER ACFT WERE NEAR PROVO ARPT. THIS PLT BECAME THE RECIPIENT OF A LIVELY ORATION BY ONE INCENSED ARPT MGR. THE RWY WAS CLOSED DUE TO A LITTLE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DEP END OF RWY 31. CONCLUSION: I NEED TO FURTHER STUDY AND EVALUATE TO 2 CONFLICTING FACTORS; AND THEY ARE: 1) SAFETY; IN LIGHT OF RAPIDLY DIMINISHING OPTIONS; OR 2) LNDG ON A CLOSED RWY. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER.