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SALT LAKE CITY -- Just when we thought it was spring, winter returned to the Wasatch Front with a vengeance. Significant amounts of snow fell in northern Utah's canyons, benches and valleys overnight.
As much as 6 inches of snow hit some parts of the Salt Lake Valley. Roughly 9 inches fell in the benches, and there was even more in the mountains.
Ski resorts welcome snow
"It was sick, dude!" said snowboarder Josh Graham. "It was like over a foot of powder! There was no one up here! It was an amazing morning!"
All lots were full Tuesday at Solitude and Brighton ski resorts. Utah Highway Patrol troopers told drivers they had to park at the bottom of the canyon. Brighton received 37 inches of snow.
"It's awesome, probably the best so far this year!" said snowboarder Michael Laganiere.
Storm leads to hazardous road conditions
High winds and avalanche control operations have forced the closure of Little Cottonwood Canyon until at least Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the town of Alta is under an interlodge alert -- meaning no one is allowed outside until avalanche danger improves.
The weather also made a mess of Utah roads. Interstate 80 through Parley's Canyon was slow, wet and cold Tuesday morning. In Park City, piles of snow were plowed off streets and parking lots.
Utah Highway Patrol reported few accidents, thanks to mild temperatures and wet roads. There were 13 crashes in Salt Lake and Utah counties overnight; one death was reported.
A 75-year-old Colorado man died in a head-on collision in Spanish Fork Canyon. Troopers say the accident happened when he driving a motor home west through the canyon late Monday night.
At milepost 186, an eastbound semi hauling frozen food somehow ended up in the westbound lane. The two vehicles collided. The semi driver was not hurt, but the driver of the motor home died from his injuries. Troopers say the road was snowy at the time.
Some valley residents socked by storm
As for the valleys and benches, Layton bench resident Brandon Allred said he had 10 inches of fresh powder outside his home Tuesday morning.
"We've had snow in June before. It's Utah. It's Utah weather. It shouldn't be anything new," he said.
Valley locations in Davis County saw 3 to 4 inches of snow.
"I like it -- the last breath of winter," said Centerville resident Kyle Walker.
Storm brings much-needed water
"These spring storms are not unusual, particularly in April, but this was a rather hard spring storm," said Randy Graham, with the National Weather Service.
He says this storm will help the state's snowpack.
"This storm is adding, easily, an excess of 2 inches of water -- as much as 7 inches of water in the snowpack -- and that is a substantial amount of water," Graham said.
Still, he cautions that the storm is not going to make a huge difference for the overall season.
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Story compiled with contributions from Amanda Butterfield and Andrew Adams.
