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SALT LAKE CITY — Thirty outbound and 25 inbound flights at Salt Lake International Airport were canceled, and 23 incoming flights were diverted Sunday evening due to thick fog blocking visibility, officials reported.
Flight delays averaging more than 90 minutes were expected to pile up throughout the evening and Monday morning, leading airport officials to encourage travelers to check with their airlines for delays or flight statuses at FlightAware.com.
The National Weather Service issued a dense fog advisory Sunday night for the northern and central Wasatch Front. The advisory is expected to stay in place until Monday morning.
The fog reduced visibility in some areas of the Salt Lake Valley to only a few hundred feet, the weather service reported.
Fog is advancing off the Great Salt Lake into northern Salt Lake County including I-80. This fog is dense, with visibilitiies below 1/4 miles at times. #utwx
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) January 7, 2018
#NWS_tweet1
Expect visibilities under 1/4 mile at times on I-80 from Salt Lake City to Grantsville, Legacy Parkway and I-15 in Davis/Weber Counties. Increase distances, slow down and use low beams. #utwx
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) January 7, 2018
#NWS_tweet2
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop until 7 p.m., limiting some aircraft heading to Salt Lake City.
Twenty-two flights were diverted from Salt Lake to Boise, Twin Falls and Pocatello, Idaho; Grand Junction, Colorado; Redmond, Oregon; Las Vegas; and Provo and St. George, airport officials said.
The weather service also urged commuters to use caution when driving along I-15 from the Idaho border south to Cove Fort and along I-80 from Salt Lake City to Wendover.
