Utah's record-breaking December heat wave leaves snowplows parked

SALT LAKE CITY — Just days before Christmas, Utah is seeing something highly unusual — a record-breaking heat wave that has left UDOT’s snowplows sitting idle.

On Monday, Dec. 22, Salt Lake City temperatures hit a record high of 67 degrees, with roads completely dry. Normally, UDOT’s maintenance shops would be buzzing with activity as plow drivers prepare for another snowy holiday. Instead, at one of UDOT’s largest maintenance sheds in West Valley City, trucks are lined up and parked, and a big pile of salt sits untouched.“It’s really weird,” said Wyatt Woolley with UDOT Region Three. “It’s very unusual for UDOT for snow plowing, where we’re used to being out.” With no snow to clear, snowplow drivers, or maintenance technicians as they are called, are focusing on other tasks — fixing potholes, repairing guardrails, clearing drainage and other work typically reserved for summer months. One silver lining, according to Woolley, is that construction teams are able to work faster, and UDOT is saving money on its snowplowing budget. But for now, the big question remains — will winter return anytime soon? Meteorologists say the warm pattern could stick around through Christmas.

Related: Utah snowpack at 55% of normal after unseasonable start to December

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.

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