WEATHER ALERT: Avalanche closes Alpine Loop near Sundance Resort

Wednesday, 6 p.m. — An avalanche has closed state Route 92 near the entrance to the Sundance Mountain Resort. The route, Alpine Loop Road, connects Utah County to Wasatch County near Deer Creek Reservoir. The avalanche is at mile marker 25, closing SR 92 in both directions.

• Utah Highway Patrol reminded drivers that traveling through Parley’s Canyon requires approved traction control devices. It requested traveling through the canyon be done only as necessary during storms. The canyon connects Salt Lake City with the Park City area as thousand are arriving for the Thursday start to the Sundance Film Festival.
• Utah Department of Transportation said it is evaluating conditions in the Cottonwood canyons for potential avalanche mitigation. It is typical to close the roads into those canyon during mitigation. “An early departure is recommended,” UDOT said.
• Salt Lake City International Airport is experiencing delays because of winter weather. Spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said there are approximately 50 flights that are delayed, including incoming and outgoing flights.
• Several Utah mountain cities continue under a winter storm warning. Mantua, Logan Summit, Alta and Brighton remain in a winter storm warning through 11 a.m. Thursday, with as much as 8 to 15 inches possible with locally higher totals in the upper Cottonwoods and Logan area mountains.
• A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 5 a.m. Thursday in Cache Valley, Wasatch Back, Bear Lake and Bear River Valley. It is advised drivers take precautions in possibly hazardous travel and during Thursday’s morning commute.
• SR 210 will close at 12:30 a.m. Thursday. The town of Alta will go into interlodge at 1:30 a.m. until approximately 8:30 a.m.

The 8:30 am time for tomorrow is an ESTIMATE. It is NOT A PROMISE.

Being outside of a building before Alta Central officially lifts Interlodge results in these. ⬇️ They're expensive, will take up your time in court, and it's dangerous.
PLEASE WAIT FOR NOTIFICATION FROM US pic.twitter.com/La4R6J4V7x

— Alta Marshal (@MarshalMike1) January 17, 2024

---

SALT LAKE CITY — A winter weather advisory has been issued for parts of the Wasatch Front and police urged drivers to slow down or delay travel, if possible, as snowfall caused hazardous driving conditions Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory for the Salt Lake and Utah valleys at 2 a.m. and upgraded an existing alert for northern Utah mountains to a winter storm warning. Those alerts lasted through 11 a.m., but another winter weather advisory was issued for the northern Wasatch Front that lasts through 5 a.m. Thursday.

Travel could be very difficult and valleys could see 3-7 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts in the Ogden Valley.

The Salt Lake Valley is under a winter weather advisory through 1 p.m. Wednesday.

KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said drivers will see snow during the morning commute with heavier snow from Ogden northward. Cold overnight temperatures mean even light snow was sticking to the roads Wednesday morning.

Snow will start transitioning to a rain/snow mix from Salt Lake City south with Ogden and points northward still seeing snow later this morning.

“Today’s storm starts as snow courtesy of valley cold pools that will aid in keeping the precipitation type on the cold side,” Johnson said. “As the day progresses temperatures will warm a bit, and this will help to support rain/snow showers.”

Northern Utah mountains will pick up 6-12 inches of snow with the Cottonwoods getting 8-16+ inches.

Today is the day where you need 2 hands on the wheel 🚙❄️🥶

There’s roughly a couple inches of snow stacked on the roads here near Farmington.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see one lane… but the majority is snow covered.

Rocking around 30 mph… @KSL5TV @KSL_Matt pic.twitter.com/qQE6N4ZL2b

— Karah Brackin (@kbontv) January 17, 2024

SNOW covered roads across the Wasatch Front. Please add at least 15 extra minutes to your typical commute time! pic.twitter.com/xJKBpiK1u8

— Katija Stjepovic (@KSLKatija) January 17, 2024

Some mountain snow showers will linger into Thursday morning, but drier conditions are expected most of Thursday as another high-pressure system moves in from the southwest.

School delays

The Ogden School District is on a two-hour delay Wednesday morning. “Half-day a.m. programs will be canceled. Half-day p.m. programs have no change. Please travel carefully,” the district said.

Due to weather conditions Ogden School District is enacting a 2-hour delayed start. Half-day a.m. programs will be canceled. Half-day p.m. programs have no change. Please travel carefully.

— OgdenSchoolDistrict (@ogdensd) January 17, 2024

The Box Elder School District announced Wednesday will be a virtual learning day for its students. Assignments will be made available by 10 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Schools, Layton Christian Academy, Charter College Salt Lake, located in Sandy; and NUAMES Early College High School in Ogden and Layton will also be on two-hour delays Wednesday.