Early winter storm welcomed by some, proves dangerous for others

Team coverageWinter arrived early, with lots of snow hitting the Wasatch Front today. It caused a lot of problems on the roads, and troopers expect more problems in the next couple of days.

In some places, commuters woke up to several inches of snow.

There were about 40 crashes this morning. Then when the snow stopped falling, black ice caused problems. There were several more accidents tonight.

"It's snow. It's winter. It's here," Utahn Jay Keys said.

And it came in full force, catching some by surprise.

At Sugarhouse Park, kids welcomed the early winter. "It's pretty good. I mean, it's nice. It's not all powdery and stuff," Colton Sanderson said.

Sledders and snowboarders couldn't get enough of one hill in the park. By late afternoon, you could see more grass than snow.

But the winter weather was no fun for commuters. There were problems all day on the roads.

It started with a messy morning. Snow slowed traffic at the Point of the Mountain.

In Bluffdale, two cars hit head-on, sending a 50-year-old, a woman and her baby to the hospital.

Visibility was low on the Beltway. A series of crashes shut down northbound I-215 East to westbound I-80. Cars had to get off on Foothill Boulevard.

The snow stopped falling in time for the evening commute. It was smooth sailing in both directions of I-80 this afternoon.

But things got worse when temperatures fell. The wet roads began to freeze, causing numerous accidents throughout the Salt Lake Valley.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron Roden has this advice: "Leave a little bit early. Expect there might be delays in your commute for the next couple of days."

The snow is good news for skiers, though. Snowbird got 3 feet of snow, and the resort will open this Friday. It's the second earliest opening day in its 38-year history.

E-mail: syi@ksl.com
E-mail: corton@ksl.com
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com

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