Winter storm warning issued for Utah's mountains with 'significant' snow in forecast

SALT LAKE CITY — The National Weather Services on Saturday upgraded a series of winter storm watches to winter storm warnings for several mountain ranges in Utah, where big snowfall totals are projected this weekend.

The warning covers Utah's Wasatch and West Uinta ranges, as well as the state's mountains in central and southwest Utah, beginning Saturday night in northern Utah. Meteorologists said the storm has the potential to deliver "significant" snow totals in the mountains.

Scattered showers arrived in Utah earlier Saturday from a low-pressure system that arrived from California, which is expected to continue bringing showers off and on throughout the day.

"This thing is going to fall apart as it comes in," said KSL meteorologist Kevin Eubank. "It does not have the oomph that (we) would hope that this would have. ... It spits and sputters (Saturday)."

The warning is tied to a larger, colder storm arriving from Alaska via the Pacific Northwest. The precipitation will begin to increase in intensity on Sunday morning, providing a jolt of valley rain and mountain snow across the state.

National Weather Service forecasters once again adjusted its snow accumulation projections with the new warning:

• The agency now forecasts 6 to 12 inches of snow for areas within the Wasatch Mountains north of I-80 and West Uintas, though locally high totals may reach up to 18 inches closer to Ogden Canyon.
• 8 to 16 inches of snow is forecast for the Wasatch Mountains south of I-80, with close to 2 feet of snow possible in the upper Cottonwood canyons.
• 8 to 16 inches of snow is forecast for the central mountains and Book Cliffs.
• 6 to 12 inches of snow is forecast for the southern mountains, though 15 inches is possible closer to Brian Head and 20 inches in the upper Tushar Mountains.

KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said on Friday that the timing and location of these low-pressure systems will likely determine which areas get the most snow. The variables are all dependent on where the second low-pressure system lands.

A KSL Weather model updated Friday evening projected that many parts of the Wasatch Front could receive half to three-quarters of an inch of precipitation over the weekend, most of which will fall on Sunday. Eubank said some models indicate it could get cold enough to switch over to a rain-snow mix in the valleys Sunday evening.

Most other parts of the state are also in line to receive decent precipitation this weekend. Both systems are expected to clear out by Monday morning, which is when the last of the advisories expire.

All of the warnings expire by early Monday as the storm clears out.

Road and other impacts

The weather service says drivers should plan for slick roads and winter driving conditions on mountain roads. Traction restrictions are possible, if not likely, for many mountain passes like the Cottonwood canyons, especially on Sunday.

"Slow down and allow more time to reach your destination," the agency wrote.

The Utah Department of Transportation issued a road weather alert ahead of the second system, advising that "widespread mountain snow" is expected, while "some minor road slush down to the benches along the Wasatch Front" is possible.

"The biggest impact with this system will be heavy snow in the high-elevation routes across northern Utah," the agency wrote.

Per UDOT, these are the routes most likely to be impacted:

• I-15: Cove Fort
• I-70: Cove Fort to Sevier, as well as Salina Summit
• I-80: Parleys Summit and Wasatch Hill areas
• U.S. 6: Spanish Fork Canyon to Helper
• U.S. 40: Silver Creek junction through Daniel's Canyon
• U.S. 89: Utah-Idaho border to Logan Canyon, as well as the Sardine Canyon area; Thistle to Indianola
• U.S. 189
• U.S. 191: Utah-Wyoming border through U.S-191 Summit; Indian Canyon Summit to U.S. 6 Junction
• S.R. 14
• S.R. 20
• S.R. 30
• S.R. 31
• S.R. 35: Tabiona to Francis
• S.R. 39
• S.R. 44
• S.R. 143
• S.R. 150
• S.R. 153
• S.R. 158
• S.R. 190
• S.R. 210

This weekend's storm follows a smaller storm that passed through the state on Thursday, which dropped a few inches of snow in Utah's mountains.

Both are something that Utah's skiers and snowboarders might be thankful for ahead of Thanksgiving. Most of Utah's ski resorts are waiting for snow to either begin the next ski season or expand operations. Only four out of the 15 resorts in Utah are open at the moment.

Eubank said another storm could be headed Utah's way by Thanksgiving.

Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.

Related topics