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Keith McCord ReportingMany people around the Salt Lake Valley found it a challenge to get to work or school this morning. The storm made the roads very slick, and for some people, the commute turned into a long, slow drive.
It's one of those storms that the weather guys call a "commuter special". This one certainly was. For many folks this special commute made them an hour late for work. All over northern Utah this morning, motorists encountered icy on-ramps and slick pavement. In some places traffic crawled along; driving times from Sandy, for example, were more than an hour.
For those who detoured onto the side streets, it wasn't much better. For a while the plows concentrated on the main traffic arteries so side streets were a mess. It was especially nerve-wracking if you were going downhill, approaching a traffic light, and it turned red. For those who weren't able to stop, just getting back out of the way proved difficult.
While motorists were maneuvering to avoid icy patches and stuck vehicles, folks who rode TRAX said it felt good to ride the train to work and avoid all the mess.
Brett Dietrick: “It does. I don’t have to deal with the snow and the slippery roads…”
John Moss: “Oh yeah. It’s nice and warm in there. It’s cold out here. Nice riding TRAX.”
As usual in storms like this, people were willing to lend a hand. We saw several instances where passersby used their muscles to help get a motorist going again.
All in all, it was a perfect morning to work on a snowman, and not necessarily the best day to take a walk.
Also, with this wintry weather, Utah Power is urging all of us to take precautions and be aware that power outages are possible with tree limbs coming down, etc. Avoid any power line that's down and have a preparedness kit handy with flashlights, radios and batteries, just in case.
For complete, up-to-the-minute weather information, visit the KSL.com Weather Page
