Snow hits Wasatch Front as major storm moves across the state

SALT LAKE CITY — April snow showers continues as a winter storm moves south through the state and the Wasatch Front prepares for a second wave of snow Tuesday.

Northbound I-15 was closed in Beaver at 3:45 p.m. due to multiple car crashes from inclement weather. There is no current estimate on when the road will fully reopen but heavy traffic delays are expected through Monday evening, the Utah Department of Transportation said.

This strong winter storm is expected to bring snow to northern Utah through late Tuesday, according to the KSL Weather team, with potential lake-effect snow falling Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said the storm will move through northern Utah in two parts. The first part, which impacted Monday's morning commute, had lower valley snow totals "as temps will hover right around, or just above, freezing," the National Weather Service tweeted.

Part two will move in Monday afternoon with colder air and more valley snow accumulations, especially overnight into Tuesday.

From noon Monday to early Wednesday, however, forecasters are anticipating an additional 12 to 18 inches for Salt Lake City and Tooele and 8 to 12 more inches for Provo and Heber City.

"Bottom line: Once snow begins, particularly across N. Utah, we may not see many breaks thru Wednesday A.M. Daytime sun will limit valley snow accumulations. Nighttime periods pose the greatest threat for travel impacts," the weather service said on Twitter.

A spokesman said UDOT crews were already busy pre-treating roads, and plows would be out when snow begins to stick from the latest storm in a winter that sent the department soaring past its snow budget for the year back in February.

"This storm will have tons of moisture to work with, which means snow totals around 1 foot for the valley floor and up to a foot and a half for benches," KSL meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke said. "Mountains could easily see 2-3 feet of snow, with the Cottonwoods picking up close to 4 feet."

UDOT tweeted Monday morning that Little Cottonwood Canyon would likely be closed all day, stating an opening "is unlikely for today" and that there is no estimate on when it would reopen.

Road Weather Alert:

Widespread road snow will continue Monday night into Tuesday, with lake enhanced snow showers possible along the Wasatch Front.

Note, another RWA will be issued tomorrow.

For more info, visit: https://t.co/4P1gO2c9Uo#utsnow#utwx@UtahTruckingpic.twitter.com/pH2wj9in0U

— UDOT Traffic (@UDOTTRAFFIC) April 3, 2023

A road weather alert was issued Monday afternoon telling drivers to expect road snow to continue Monday night into Tuesday, with lake-enhanced snow showers possible along the Wasatch Front.

Several crashes were reported on Wasatch Front roads Monday morning as heavy snow moved into the area overnight.

Sometime between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on northbound I-15 at 12300 South, a semitrailer lost control and jackknifed across the road, blocking the two lanes to the off-ramp. While Utah Highway Patrol troopers were attending to that incident, a pickup truck also lost control about 4:45 a.m. and slid into an Incident Management Team vehicle that was warning drivers to slow down and move over, according to UHP Sgt. Cameron Roden.

The pickup hit the back of the vehicle, which was then pushed into the back of a UHP patrol car, Roden said.

There were people in both vehicles when they were hit, but only minor injuries were reported, he said. The crash was expected to be cleared by 9 a.m.

Cottonwood canyons

Big Cottonwood Canyon opened around 6 a.m. Monday after both Cottonwood canyons were closed overnight. UDOT officials said snow totals were much lower than anticipated in Big Cottonwood Canyon and there was no need for avalanche mitigation work Monday morning.

Little Cottonwood was still closed with no estimated time for reopening Monday. UDOT officials asked drivers to use caution heading up Big Cottonwood and traction devices were required.

Afternoon or evening canyon closures could be needed as more snow moves in. UDOT expects upper canyons to receive 6 to 12 inches of snow overnight Monday and another 5 to 10 inches by 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The BYU Salt Lake Center is closed Monday due to expected unsafe driving conditions. The University of Utah is encouraging remote learning.

Get the complete forecast on the KSL Weather Page and check commute times on the KSL Traffic Page.

Contributing: Pat Reavy

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