SALT LAKE CITY – The National Weather Service issued some winter weather warnings before another storm that could provide more than a foot of snow in the Wasatch Mountains and northern Utah from Friday night through Saturday.
It is also planned to shed several inches of snow in some of the region’s valleys and impact areas in central Utah.
Closures
Utah Department of Transportation said on Twitter shortly before 9:00 pm, number 1-84 in the westerly direction was closed at the Utah-Idaho border; The UDOT traffic website showed the interstate open again at 10pm. Drivers can find up-to-date traffic information available at udottraffic.utah.gov.
State Route 210 in Big Cottonwood Canyon will be closing for downhill traffic at 12:30 pm on Saturday and will close for downhill traffic at 1am for UDOT avalanche and security control. The roads will reopen at 8am on Saturday.
Traction laws
Traction laws are in effect in the Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood canyons in Salt Lake County starting at 7pm on Friday. Traction devices, such as snow tires or chains, are required on all vehicles in both directions for state roads 210 and 190, according to UDOT.
All vehicles traveling on I-80 through Parley’s Canyon are necessary to have traction devices. Drivers to the east can stop and place chains on the right side of the road at marker 129 and drivers to the west can place chains at marker 146 on the right side, UDOT said on Twitter.
Traction laws are also in effect in Sardine Canyon in Cache County on US 91 in both directions, between point 2 and point 17. Meteorologists from the National Weather Service said on Friday that the storm would result in “dangerous travel” through passages in the higher mountains, such as the Logan Canyon.
Climate
Northern Utah and Wasatch Front
Heavy snow showers are moving in the center and north of Wasatch Front until 10pm Friday, the National Weather Service said on Twitter. The cold front of the storm has lowered the temperature to 20 degrees and, although the roads remain wet, they can quickly become icy and drivers are advised to be careful, especially as “viaducts can get cold in a hurry,” said the NWS.
The latest storm is part of a system that is coming from the Pacific Northwest, according to meteorologist KSL Grant Weyman. The blizzards arrived in northern Utah and around Wasatch Front on Friday morning, in a lesser storm than what was to come.
The strongest material is expected from Friday night through Saturday. The weather service’s winter weather alerts, which were first issued on Thursday and updated on Friday, will take effect late Friday afternoon and last until Saturday night. A statement states that snow accumulation is expected to reach 10 to 20 inches in the Wasatch Mountains to the north and south of I-80 and in the west of the Uinta Mountains, with some “locally higher amounts” possible in some areas.
Weather alert: A cold front will bring snow on the clear valley and mtn roads tonight to SAT PM. The biggest threat of snow on the road along the Wasatch Front will be SLC North and the banks. Be careful when traveling. For more information: https://t.co/4P1gO1U0Gg#utsnow#utwxpic.twitter.com/2wx3EgpwYk
– UDOT traffic (@UDOTTRAFFIC) February 26, 2021
“Winter driving conditions can be expected on all higher altitude routes, especially on the Upper Cottonwood Canyons, I-80 near Parley`s Summit and Logan Pass Friday night through Saturday,” the alert said.
Possible gusts of wind may be associated with the storm, but the weather service removed a warning about 25 degree negative wind colds in an update to its winter weather alert on Friday.
Wasatch Mountain Valleys
A second winter weather warning was issued for the Wasatch Mountain valleys – the Heber City, Huntsville and Park City areas – which also went into effect late Friday afternoon through Saturday night. The weather service said the trip could be affected along the Wasatch Front on Saturday morning.
The agency predicted snow to fall 7 to 15 cm in these areas, with “locally higher” amounts possible in the Ogden Valley. The warning added that mountain valleys south of I-80 could receive 7 to 15 centimeters of snow; some parts of the Ogden Valley can receive more than 15 to 20 centimeters of snow from the storm.
THE National Weather Service released an image showing the expected total snowfall of the storm until Sunday morning, which is the time the storm will have passed. In addition to the areas listed in the statement, cities like Brigham City, Logan, Nephi, Ogden, Provo, Salt Lake City and Tooele are expected to receive anywhere from 1 to 3 inches of snow.
Winter storm on the way! Snow from the north of the mountain begins at night and increases in intensity and coverage on Friday, with snow falling to the valley floor on Saturday morning. Waiting for 8-14 “in meters with locally higher amts (ie Cottonwoods); 6-8” banks to the north and 1-4 “valleys. #utwxpic.twitter.com/XyQckZbEJ4
– NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) February 25, 2021
Utah Central
A third warning was issued on Friday morning for higher altitude areas in central Utah, including places like Cove Fort, Fish Lake, Koosharem and Scofield, which went into effect at 8 pm on Friday and lasted almost every Saturday. He says that some areas can receive 10 to 25 centimeters of snow.
“Occasional winter driving conditions can be expected, particularly along Spanish Fork Canyon US 6 north of Price and the highest peaks of I-70,” he said.
All three warnings encourage drivers to “slow down and be careful when traveling”.
The storm is not expected to bring the state’s accumulated snow numbers back to average, but it is expected to at least help the numbers keep moving forward. Utah’s snow cap was 77% normal for this point of the year on Friday morning, according to SNOTEL data.
The additional snow could also pose avalanche problems, after the threat became less dire than last week. As of 8:00 am on Friday, most Utah mountains were at “moderate” or “considerable” risk of avalanches, according to the Utah Avalanche Center. The avalanche danger was moved “high” in the mountains near Logan.
Meanwhile, the forecast points to better weather in March. Temperatures along the Wasatch Front are expected to return to 40 years and further decrease by 50 midweek next week, according to Weyman.
Complete forecasts for areas in Utah can be found at the KSL Weather Center.