Patchy snow, black ice causing traffic delays across northern Utah

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LEHI — Roads remain slick across the Wasatch Front on Monday due to patches of road snow and black ice, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.

Drivers from the Idaho border to Spanish Fork are asked to slow down and drive carefully as some light snow showers fell on various areas of northern Utah, UDOT said. They also issued a Road Weather Alert of widespread snow across the state from Wednesday morning through Thursday evening.

On Monday night, Valley View Highway, or state Route 30, in Logan between 1000 West and 1900 West was reopened at 6:45 p.m. following a closure at about 5:35 p.m., due to car accidents. Officials stated that dense fog remained in the area, and encouraged drivers to reduce speed, increase following distance, and drive safely.

As of 7:30 a.m., tire chains or four-wheel drive were required in Little Cottonwood Canyon, according to UDOT.

UDOT Cottonwood Canyons also confirmed Monday evening that 1 to 2 feet was expected in the canyons, with 3 to 3.5 feet possible in some areas. They also stated that all hands will be on deck for road operations.

Multiple crashes were reported on freeways in the Salt Lake Valley on Monday morning, including one on northbound I-15 at the junction with state Route 201 in which two right lanes and the shoulder were blocked and traffic was backed up to 3500 South.

Crash NB I-215 at 201 Freeway split. 2-right lanes and shoulder blocked. Traffic backed to 3500 South. pic.twitter.com/YnZDkxporT
— Heather Kelly (@KSLHeatherKelly) December 30, 2019

Another crash took place on southbound I-15 at the junction of I-80 in which left travel lanes were blocked, the traffic center reported. Traffic was backed up to 400 South there as of 8 a.m.

Get traffic updates on KSL NewsRadio and at www.ksl.com/news/traffic. More traffic information is available at UDOT's Commuterlink website, udottraffic.udot.gov.

Multi vehicle crash SB 15 at the 201/I-80 split (Spaghetti Bowl). 2 of the cars facing sideways blocking left lanes of travel. Traffic backed to 400 South. pic.twitter.com/xZslnGHIW5
— Heather Kelly (@KSLHeatherKelly) December 30, 2019

Sunday evening the Utah Highway Patrol officials urged drivers to avoid I-15 near the Point of the Mountain as low temperatures, high winds and black ice combined for a slick drive. Multiple crashes prompted a warning to drivers Sunday night, the KSL Traffic Center reports

There were multiple crashes on both the north- and southbound sides of the freeway Sunday evening, according to UHP trooper Andrew Battenfield.

He also confirmed that a Utah Highway Patrol trooper’s car was rear-ended near Salt Lake and Utah county lines, though the trooper was out of the car assisting with a previous incident and was not injured. The trooper was able to drive his car away from the scene.

A few of the crashes caused lanes on the freeway to close.

Contributing: Emerson Oligschlaeger, KSL; Linda Williams, KSL.com