Snowstorm triggers, hampers powder day frenzy
Feb 19, 2018, 8:33 PM | Updated: 9:04 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – A holiday weekend snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons. As skiers and snowboarders rushed to the canyons to take advantage, the snowy conditions made things difficult.
Through the day, police said there had been more than 40 minor traffic incidents in the canyons. Unified Police closed both canyons for a little more than an hour, as they worked to get plows through and clear vehicles that slid off the road.
Police said a UTA bus slid off the road Monday morning, but no one was hurt.
The road closures created big delays at the canyon entrances.
“We were in the car for about an hour. Wasatch was backed up crazy — couldn’t make it anywhere really. We had to take a shortcut over her, took us about an hour and a half to get here,” said Chase Didas.
Didas was one of the many people who decided the delays were too much and turned around.
“We figured with the fresh snow there’d be some delay getting up there, but we didn’t think it’d be this bad,” said Pete Stewart, as he walked back to his car with his family along Fort Union Boulevard. “It’s great snow! It’s awesome. Be good skiing. The people that are up there are the lucky ones.”
The ones who persevered were rewarded with slopes full of powder.
Related:
Amid hundreds of snowy slide-offs, do this, not that