said by coma9:My question is this though, after so long of standing outside in the cold, isn't there a point where they're supposed to just send us home and comp us for the day? If it's a state law or something, we're in Utah if that matters.
Short answer: No.
Long answer: There is no law in Utah or anywhere that says there is a time limit for how long they can make you wait outside while a fire alarm clears. You are still on the clock. If they want to pay you to stand around, then that's their call to make.
However, there are rules about your employer's obligation to provide a safe work environment, and one could plausibly argue that twenty minutes outside in the cold without proper apparel is a health & safety hazard. In that case you could have sat in your car with the heater on, gone to a nearby mall or business and waited it out, or gone home. If you go home they do not have to pay you and they probably do not have to excuse the absence.
You sound like a young person or someone without a lot of work experience. In your career you will be asked to do a lot of things that are not pleasant. There is no "right" to time off with pay over every little discomfort. Get over it. Move on.