Bundle up — winter is bringing colder temperatures and snow to Utah on Monday.
Snow along the Wasatch Front affected the morning commute, including on Interstate 80 through Parleys Canyon.
Utah Department of Transportation spokesman John Gleason said that by about 8:15 a.m., there had been about 60 crashes along highways on the Wasatch Front.
Southbound Interstate 15 was closed Monday morning near Orem, due to multiple crashes, Gleason said. The closure had caused about 5 miles of backup, he said. The freeway opened up again just 9:15 a.m.
Most crashes were minor fender-benders, Gleason said, but there were some bigger crashes earlier in the morning, including a semi that had jackknifed on a freeway.
UDOT was requiring chains or four-wheel drive for all vehicles in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons.
There was a significant difference of snow distribution in various parts of Salt Lake County, Gleason said. The brunt of the storm had passed by about 8:30 a.m., he said, but the west side of the county could still see some “lake-effect” snowfall.
Warm weekend temperatures left many roads warm enough to melt ice and snow, Gleason said, but he warned that as temperatures are more consistently cool, roadways could sustain some icy patches.
The National Weather Service is predicting a high in Salt Lake City in the mid-30s, with a chance of snow showers into the afternoon on Monday. A low of 21 degrees is expected overnight Monday.
Salt Lake City should be sunny Tuesday through Friday, with highs ranging in the 30s to 40s and lows in the 20s.
In Park City, morning snow showers and a high in the 20s and a single-digit low are expected on Monday. Temperatures are expected to reach the 30s the rest of the week, with the lows not quite as cold.
Provo — which also had a chance of light snow showers Monday morning — will have highs in the 30s and 40s Monday through Friday, according to the weather service’s extended forecast. The thermometer is predicted to dip to 18 degrees on Monday night and down to the 20s the rest of the week.
In Ogden and Logan, there is a slight chance of rain and snow showers in the morning and snow in the afternoon on Monday, with highs in the 30s and lows in the teens. The forecast then calls for highs in the 30s and 40s and low in the teens and 20s through Friday.
In southern Utah, temperatures in St. George are expected to top out in the 50s and drop to the 20s and low 30s this week.
The Utah Avalanche Center warned of considerable avalanche danger near Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake and the Uintas. Avalanche danger was low near Provo.
Air quality was expected to be good, at green levels Monday and Tuesday, according to the Utah Division of Air Quality.
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