This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Like an icy shroud, a pollution-trapping air inversion was draped over northern Utah's Wasatch Front heading into the final days of 2015.
A series of anemic Pacific storms dusted northern Utah with intermittent light snow again on Tuesday, but that was not enough to lift the cap over the region's urban valleys due to cold air aloft trapping warmer air below. As particulate levels rose, the Utah Division of Air Quality banned open burning and use of wood and coal stoves in Salt Lake and Utah counties.
Those restrictions, which also urged motorists to opt for mass transit or stay home, and warned those with compromised health to avoid the outdoors, were to include Cache County beginning Wednesday.
Davis, Weber, Box Elder and Tooele counties were little better at "yellow," or moderate for particulate levels; Duchesne and Uintah counties were to join them in the compromised air quality ranks on Wednesday.
While snowfall was light — expected to add no more than 2 inches by New Year's Eve — subfreezing daytime temperatures and lows in the teens and single digits overnight made for snow-packed and icy roadways. The Utah Highway Patrol warned drivers to slow down and exercise extra care on slippery bridges, overpasses and secondary routes.
By the time the Tuesday morning commute had come to a close, UHP troopers had responded to dozens of slideoffs and crashes, including one fatal rollover on Interstate 84 in Box Elder County.
The Salt Lake and Tooele valleys looked for scattered snow on Wednesday, with highs in the mid- to upper-20s and lows in the 10-15 degree range — an echo of Tuesday's forecast.
Southern Utahns, meanwhile, expected to dodge the lousy air quality and snow alike. Wednesday's high temperatures in Utah's Dixie were predicted to climb into the mid-40s, with overnight lows in the low-20s — a couple degrees warmer than Tuesday's forecast.
The Utah Avalanche Center warned that the risk of potentially deadly mountain backcountry snow slides remained "considerable" in the Uintas, Skyline, Moab and Abajo mountains as of Tuesday; Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake and Provo districts were at "moderate" risk.
For more extensive forecast information, visit the Tribune's weather page at: http//www.sltrib.com/weather.
Twitter: @remims Road Weather Highlights •
Very light and spotty snow will continue along the Wasatch Front and into central/southern Utah. Despite spotty coverage and weak intensity, snow has caused slick, icy roads. Snow is expected to continue through Tuesday morning, with icy roads slowly trending wet during afternoon.
The following major roadways will see the threat for a dusting of road snow and icy conditions through the forecast period:
— I-15, Idaho border to Cedar City
— I-84, Entire route
— I-70, Cove Fort to Ivie Creek Summit
— I-80, Entire route
— I-215, Entire route
— US-89, Entire route
— US-191 South, Duchesne to Helper
— US-6, Nevada line to Spanish Fork to Castle Gate
— US-40, Silver Creek Junction to Fruitland, Colo.
— Source: Utah Department of Transportation