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Rainy, snowy and windy conditions double crash rate along Utah highways, UDOT says

(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sleet and snow cover the boardwalk at Secret Lake Friday morning Nov. 17 at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Highway commuters crashed at about double the normal rate Friday due to mountain snow and valley rain that came down hard along the Wasatch Front.

From 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., there were 55 crashes, mostly along freeways along the Wasatch Front, said Utah Department of Transportation spokesman John Gleason. He said the number is about double the average for a typical weekday, but is “not as high as you’d expect in a major winter storm.”

During the first “major winter storm” of the year, Gleason said UDOT usually sees hundreds of fender bender-type crashes.

He advised commuters to “drive in the rain as they would in the snow.” Visibility is a major concern with any type of precipitation, Gleason said. He suggested drivers increase the distance between themselves and vehicles in front of them so if they needed to break, they could do so without hydroplaning.

Additionally, travelers should use headlights and drive slower than the posted speed limits, he said.

UDOT implemented chain restrictions for semis on Interstate 80 and on westbound routes through Parleys Canyon, Gleason said. It also required chains or four-wheel drive for all vehicles on State Route 224, near Park City, and in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.

I-80 was closed late Friday morning on the Wyoming side of the Utah-Wyoming border, along with US Highway 191, due to hazardous weather conditions. The Wyoming Department of Transportation noted that I-80 was closed in both directions between Exit 30 and Exit 39, near Evanston, Wyo., and US-191 near Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

The brunt of the precipitation arrived in the Salt Lake Valley about 7 a.m., according to UDOT, and would continue to spread south, hitting Beaver about 3 p.m.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for north central Utah on Friday. Areas with altitudes greater than 4,500 feet should expect snow accumulation of up to a foot, with more possible in the central Wasatch Mountains.

The Utah Avalanche Center warned of a “considerable“ risk of avalanche danger in mountains near Logan, a “moderate” risk in the Salt Lake and Provo areas and “low” risk near Ogden.

The precipitation was forecast to taper off Friday night, according to the NWS, and despite the anticipated slush, no snow accumulation is expected in the valleys.

In south central Utah, the NWS issued a wind advisory beginning at 9 a.m. near Glen Canyon Recreation Area and Lake Powell. Winds were anticipated to blow at 20 to 30 mph in the morning, increasing slightly in the afternoon with gusts near 50 mph.

The wind will bring the cold front through the state and is expected to peak in the afternoon.

Boaters at Lake Powell should take extra caution in the windy conditions, the NWS said, as well as motorists with high-profile and lightweight vehicles.

The entire state was under a hazardous weather outlook, anticipating wind and precipitation over the coming week.

Rocky Mountain Power reported about 300 customers were temporarily out of power Friday morning in Cottonwood Heights and Fruit Heights, due to wind blowing down power lines.

Temperatures in the Salt Lake and Tooele areas will top off in the upper 40s Friday, with winds blowing at 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon and evening. The chance of precipitation is 90 percent during the day, and as the mostly cloudy skies clear up in the evening, temperatures will drop into the mid-20s.

Over the weekend, Saturday is expected to be sunny with highs in the mid-40s. Overnight lows will hit the upper 20s, before temperatures climb back up to the upper 40s Sunday.

St. George is expected to reach 70 degrees Friday with partly sunny skies and a 20 percent chance of rain showers. The NWS predicts the area will also be breezy with 10- to 20-mph winds. Temperatures will drop into the lower 30s overnight as the wind continues to blow.

Saturday will be sunny with highs at about 60 degrees, and overnight temperatures again dropping into the lower 30s. Meteorologists expect Sunday to have similar conditions to Saturday, with sunny skies and highs at about 60.

Air quality levels are expected to be green, or good, across the whole state Friday and Saturday, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

For more detailed weather information, visit The Salt Lake Tribune’s weather page at www.sltrib.com/weather.