Heavy snow showers blanketed the Wasatch Front on Thursday morning, creating hazardous driving conditions — and forcing ski areas to forego operations for the day.
“The roads in North Utah County and Davis County are also iced up,” Utah Highway Patrol warned on social media. “We are on the scene of numerous crashes in Salt Lake, Davis and on the Tech Corridor of I-15. Slow down, increase following distance, and watch out for first responders.”
Snow and rain were expected to continue into Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The latest storm was expected to drop 1 to 2 inches of snow in the cities along the Wasatch Front, with about 3 inches on the benches, as well as Park City and the Heber Valley. In the Wasatch Mountain valleys east of Ogden, snow totals could reach 4 to 10 inches.
Up to 20 inches of new powder could greet skiers in Utah’s mountains this weekend, the weather service reported. Little Cottonwood Canyon Road was closed for a time for avalanche control, according to the Utah Department of Transportation. Snowbird had announced it would remain closed until noon. Alta Ski Area announced mid-day that it would not open at all on Thursday. Interlodge travel was prohibited at Alta.
Snow tires or chains were required in Parley’s Canyon.
Snow was likely to return to the mountains on Saturday and Sunday, the weather service reported, accompanied by strong winds in higher elevations.
Avalanche danger was rated as “high” in the mountains of Salt Lake County, the Utah Avalanche Center reported Thursday, with “considerable” danger in the rest of the Wasatch Mountains.