The steady snowfall, which has dropped more than 2 feet of snow in Logan and up to 3 feet in surrounding areas since Saturday, prompted school and city office closures and has kept snowplow drivers working around the clock.

"It was a mess this afternoon," Thompson said. Twenty-two inches of snow has been recorded in downtown Logan since Saturday, with another 4 to 6 inches expected by this morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The moisture-laden storm, which moved across the western United States, has dropped up to 5 feet of snow on the Wasatch Mountains, causing avalanches, canyon closures and rock slides.

By 3 p.m., Utah State University, Bridgerland Applied Technology College and Stevens-Henager College had canceled classes for the rest of the day. State employees were sent home about 4 p.m.

"We made a plea for people to go home and stay home tonight. The streets are quiet," Thompson said.

By Tuesday evening, 30 or so members of USU's Sigma Chi Fraternity were huddled at the house. The slick roads and pounding snow made it difficult to get around, said senior Connor Cottle.

"No one could get out of our parking lot because it was so slick," Cottle said. Tree branches, bent from the weight of the snow, were met with waist-deep powder on the ground.

USU classes were expected to resume this morning.

City employees were sent to remove snow from some of the town's older buildings with long construction spans, which were showing signs of stress. In rural Cache Valley, there were reports of barns collapsing, killing the cattle inside, Thompson said.

Partly cloudy skies and a 20 to 30 percent chance of snow showers are forecast for northern Utah through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Other closures included the Cache Valley Mall, Shopko, and all Logan City offices. Meetings of the Cache County Council, the Providence City Council and other agencies were also canceled Tuesday. County and Logan bus service was shut down, except for emergencies where passengers were stranded.

Closures were expected today at the Cache Senior Center and Logan city offices. Garbage service in Cache County and Logan City has been suspended and people are asked to keep their garbage cans off the streets so they do not interfere with snowplows.

In rural Richmond, 14 miles north of Logan, Farol Nelson kept a close eye on her three horses, making sure they had enough feed and could stay warm. The longtime Cache County resident is used to the snow - just not this much.

"We've just got a lot of folks out with their front loaders digging neighbors out and there's a lot of cars sliding off the road," Nelson said.

As much as 5 feet of new snow was recorded at the ski areas in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons, said Brian McInerney, a weather service hydrologist. Snowbird Ski Resort said it has surpassed 300 inches of snow since the season opening, with a base of 123 inches.

The high totals have created an extreme avalanche danger. High winds, heavy snow and rain have made for a dangerous situation in northern Utah's mountains. Avalanche patrols at Alta Ski Resort triggered several class 5 slides - the largest measurable, McInerney said.

Provo Canyon was closed Tuesday morning after an avalanche approximately 100 yards wide came down Bridal Veil Falls, blocking Old Highway 189 and the Provo River, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Tom Hodgson. As water backed up behind the avalanche, it cut a new channel and went onto Old Highway 189, eroding 50 to 60 feet of the road base, Hodgson said. Another avalanche was reported in Lost Creek Canyon.

American Fork Canyon was also closed Tuesday until further notice while the Utah Department of Transportation works avalanche patrols.

Later Tuesday, a boulder approximately the size of a car hood fell down the side of the mountain and partially blocked the ramp from westbound Interstate 80 to southbound Interstate 215, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Wade Breur. The ramp was closed for about two hours, he said.

In the southern region of Utah, heavy snow closed state Route 14 between Cedar City and Long Valley Junction and state Route 143 between Brian Head and Panguitch - both of which were expected to remain closed for the next couple of days, according to UDOT. Also closed were State Road 18 between Beryl and Enterprise and State Road 56 between state Route 18 and the Nevada state line.

mwestley@sltrib.com

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Tribune correspondent Arrin Newton Brunson contributed to this story.