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SALT LAKE CITY — Another round of snow hit the Wasatch Front Wednesday morning, slowing the commute as holiday travelers prepared to leave town. Numerous crashes, a power outage, and an avalanche in the mountains above Provo were reported.
Dozens of minor accidents tied up traffic on roadways in northern Utah, with whiteout conditions in some areas. KSL Newsradio's traffic reporters noted 13 crashes on the freeways of Salt Lake Valley alone. Motorists said the commute from Point of the Mountain to downtown Salt Lake, which usually takes about 20 minutes, took up to 45 minutes Wednesday.
On I-80 in Parleys Canyon, chains or four-wheel drive were required for all eastbound vehicles. Westbound semitrucks needed chains.
I-80 EB in Parley's Canyon. Chains and 4X4 required. CAUTION please pic.twitter.com/0Fm3zzKiJS
— KSL Traffic Center (@KSLTraffic) December 23, 2015Idaho State Police closed Interstate 84 from the Utah-Idaho border to Burley, Idaho.
Avalanche on Cascade Mountain
A large avalanche occurred on Cascade Mountain Wednesday morning amid warnings from avalanche forecasters that slides could happen across the state.
Around 9:30 a.m., people reported seeing movement and then a giant cloud of snow come down the mountain.
Provo police said they have no reports of anyone missing or anyone near the area of the slide. At this point, it appears to be a natural slide. But with steep terrain and unstable snow, combined with more snow overnight and gusty winds, it is likely the first of many avalanches in the backcountry, avalanche forecasters said.
Avalanche danger remains high throughout Utah. Check the avalanche forecast at [ utahavalanchecenter.org](< https://utahavalanchecenter.org/>).
Power outage
Power was out to about 3,700 Rocky Mountain Power customers in Salt Lake City and Holladay, the company reported. Power was restored around 9:20 a.m., according to the Rocky Mountain Power website. The cause of the outage was unknown.
Airport
At Salt Lake International Airport, officials recommended arriving at least three hours before your flight leaves.
Forecast
KSL Meteorologist Grant Weyman said the fast-moving storm was expected to drop only a couple of inches of snow in the valley. Get the complete forecast on the KSL Weather Page.
Contributing: Sam Penrod, Peter Samore
