Severe winter weather leads to schools moving online, messy morning commute

SALT LAKE CITY — A winter storm slammed into the Beehive State overnight, and authorities are urging Utahns to stay home if possible due to poor road conditions. Dozens of crashes and slide-offs have already been reported across the state.

Several schools districts have also announced classes will move online for the day.

School district changes

While snow days might be a thing of the past, districts are watching the weather and several will move to remote classes Wednesday.

REMOTE/ONLINE

• Alpine School District
  • All schools moving online. Students, parents and teachers should utilize email, Canvas, Google Classroom, or other digital means of communication to provide learning opportunities for students
• Canyons School District
  • Elementary schools – Canvas & independent learning
  • Middle and high school — Canvas & Zoom
• Granite School District
  • All schools – Check Canvas, emails, Google Classroom and other resources
• Jordan School District
  • All schools – Teachers will connect with students around noon to 2 p.m.
• Murray School District
  • Two-hour delay, all students remote learning
• Tooele School District
  • In-person classes canceled, all students moved to online learning
  • Determination about extracurricular activities will be made around noon
  • Change does not apply to Wendover High School and Anna Smith Elementary
• Hawthorn Academy
  • Both South & West Jordan campuses are going remote. Teachers will reach out to students. Check Facebook for updates.
• Ascent Academies
  • Both West Valley and West Jordan are going remote
• Entheos Academy
  • Kearns and Magna locations — parents will get emails
• AMES Academy for Math Engineering and Science
• Saint John the Baptist Catholic Elementary
• Mana Academy Charter School
• American Academy of Innovation
• Paradigm Schools in South Jordan
• American Preparatory Academy Charter, West Valley City and Draper
• Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
• Wallace Stegner Academy, West Valley City and SLC
• Mana Academy Charter School

CANCELED

• Tooele School District — all kindergarten and preschool
• Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy — closed for all classes
• Prince of Peace Lutheran School, SLC — closed for all classes
• Saint Andrew Catholic School, Riverton
• Reed School
• St. Francis Xavier School
• Dancing Moose Montessori Schools
• Carden Memorial, SLC
• Waterford School, Sandy
  • Classes and afterschool activities
• Elizabeth Academy and Garfield School

DELAYED

• Davis School District
  • Two-hour delay
  • Kindergarten, head start, early head start, community preschool and before-school programs will not be held
• Provo School District
  • Two-hour delay
  • NO half-day kindergarten, preschool or other midday/afterschool programs
• Salt Lake City School District
  • Two-hour delay for students
  • One-hour delay for employees
  • Half-day programs held in the morning will be canceled. Half-day programs held in the afternoon will operate on a normal schedule
• Ogden School District
  • All schools — one-hour delay
• Salt Lake Community College
  • All SLCC sites and in-person classes are canceled until 9 a.m. for snow removal
  • Online classes can continue
• Ascent Academy Lehi
  • Doors open 10 a.m., school starts 10:25 a.m.
  • AM kindergarten: 10:35-12:35
  • PM kindergarten: 12:55-3:05
  • Regular dismissal time: 3:05
• East Hollywood High School – delayed until 10 a.m.
• Canyon Rim Academy — delayed until 10:30 a.m.
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School — delayed until 10 a.m.
• Juan Diego Catholic High School
  • Juan Diego and Saint John the Baptist Catholic Middle School — delayed until 10:30 a.m.
• Judge Memorial High School
  • Late Start in-person finals:
    • 10:35 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Period 8 final
    • 12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Period 3 final
• Rowland Hall
  • Start time at 10 a.m., buses delayed 1.5 hours
• Spectrum Academy Charter School
  • All locations, two-hour delay
• Utah County Academy of Sciences
  • Two-hour delay, start time 11 a.m.

NO CHANGES

• Cache County School District
• Logan School District
• Weber State University
• Nebo School District

Road conditions

State troopers and police responded to dozens of crashes overnight. Authorities urged drivers to stay home if possible, and state surge remote work eligible employees will work from home Wednesday.

STAY HOME🚨

Over 100 crashes have happened since midnight! @UtahDOT has plows out in full force trying to keep up but even some of our interstates aren't plowed.

Be patient, and safe! @KSL5TV #KSLTV #UTWX #NBC pic.twitter.com/ZYXkC9zxka

— Morgan Wolfe (@MorganWolfeKSL) December 15, 2021

Sgt. Cameron Roden with the Utah Highway Patrol said roads in the Point of the Mountain area are currently seeing the biggest impact from this storm.

A semi-truck was also blocking lanes on 6200 South near I-215, and power lines were down on 3000 East. UDOT officials say drivers wanting to head to the Cottonwood Canyons should expect delays in the area as “powder traffic” picks up throughout the morning and early afternoon.

⚠️ #CrashAlert ⚠️
A semi-truck is stuck at 6200 S, and power lines are down on 3000 E. @UPDSL is blocking traffic heading left (east) off the I-215 off-ramp. Please be aware and plan your travels accordingly. If traveling, 2000 E to Fort Union to access canyons.🚨@UDOTTRAFFIC pic.twitter.com/LQtXyQWzLd

— UDOT Cottonwood Canyons (@UDOTcottonwoods) December 15, 2021

I’m in Mobile 5 tracking road conditions, I’ve lost count on slide offs – at least more than 10 incidents along I-15, I-215 & I-80. I’ve seen some people get out of their vehicle. ⚠️PLEASE DON’T – stay inside your car until help arrives.

— Tamara Vaifanua (@TamaraVaifanua) December 15, 2021