People digging out in Tooele

Marc Giauque and Gene Kennedy reportingPeople continue to dig out of the snow in Tooele. All the schools there are closed because some of the streets haven't been plowed, and there is just no way school buses can pick up the students.

Transportation supervisor Richard Merino says, "We couldn't even get them out of here this morning. We plowed twice last night and started again this morning at 5:00. We're still going."

Harris Elementary is snowed in. It is one of 23 schools closed from here to Wendover.

"This is the worst I've seen it for a long time," Merino says.

Most of the students don't seem to mind. Many were out enjoying the snow this morning. "I go sledding or I go outside, and I wake up really early and I go play with my dog, Harley, and we tackle each other," one child said.

Teachers found themselves doing other jobs today. Teacher Denise Manzione says, "I teach school, and I'd rather be in school than shoveling snow, much rather."

We saw a mailman on the job, but he was only delivering to homes off main roads that had been plowed. Even in that situation, he found himself up to his knees in snow. Still, at least he's on the job.

There are some who are still digging out of their driveways. Leonard Jordan says, "The thing is, last night I ran my snowblower, cleaned it all up. This morning, there was as much snow as there was last night, and it wouldn't let up at all, just blowing all night long, drifting snow."

As for roads, S.R. 36 in Stockton is open, but there is a lot of blowing snow in the area. The only road closed in Tooele County is S.R. 199. It's a road that leads from Tooele to the Dugway military base.

Dugway is closed; so is the Chemical Depot. City and county buildings also are closed.

I-80 is closed at Evanston and S.R. 143 is closed from Brianhead to Mammoth Creek Road due to blowing snow.

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