This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
First came the warm south winds, gusting to 50 mph as they ushered in a northern Utah Tuesday in the mid-60s.
But the Wasatch Front's rebellion against winter grinds to an icy, snowy halt by dawn Wednesday, with overnight temperatures in the upper-teens heralded highs struggling to reach the mid-40s. Valley rain and mountain snowfall will continue through Thursday, when highs dip even further, into the mid- to upper-30s.
A strong cold front rolling in from the Pacific Northwest is to blame to the end of this wild, faux spring; 7-15 inches of mountain snow and 2-5 inches in the valleys were expected in northern and central Utah through the midweek.
A Winter Weather Advisory was issued for the northern Wasatch and western Uinta mountains from 2 p.m. Tuesday through 11 a.m. Wednesday. Winter driving conditions will rule in such areas as Parleys Canyon and near the Logan Summit, the National Weather Service cautioned.
A Wind Advisory was in place for the Salt Lake and Tooele valleys, along with much of the western third of the state, through 9 p.m. Tuesday. Winds of 25-35 mph, occasionally peaking at 15 mph more, were expected to put drivers of high-profile vehicles on alert, especially along Interstate 80 and Highway 50.
While you may find it challenging to stand while braving the storm, all that wind and precipitation are welcomed by the Utah Division of Air Quality. The agency awarded "green," or healthy grades for the entire state through the midweek.
However, more snow, driven by stiff winds, had the Utah Avalanche Center staff concerned. Avalanche danger was "considerable" as of Tuesday for the mountains above Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake City, Provo and in the Uintas. The Moab and Abajo districts were at "moderate" risk, while the Skyline region was "low."
For more extensive forecast information visit the Tribune's weather page at http://www.sltrib.com/news/weather/.
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