UDOT Crews Prepare For Active Weather Pattern, Approaching Winter Storm

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Department of Transportation crews were busy at work preparing the roads as the first storm of the season started to roll in.

“We are entering a very active weather pattern; we are essentially flipping the switch on the weather that we’ve had — the dry conditions — and over the next couple of weeks, we’ll see storm after storm line up,” said John Gleason with UDOT.

Traction law went into effect in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Utah Department of Transportation said plows were out.

“We are really looking at the mountains that are going to be significantly impacted — maybe 6-12 inches in Parley’s Canyon, Big and Little Cottonwood Canyon — so our plow crews are going to have a busy couple of days,” said Gleason.

In the valleys, road crews said to expect 1-2 inches of snow into Sunday evening.

“The road temperatures are so warm right now that we’re not really anticipating that it is going to stick to the roads all that much,” said Gleason. “We could see some slushy conditions.”

However, Gleason said don’t let your guard down. With the pandemic, physical distancing also applies here, he said, adding that you should give yourself space to brake.

On the bright side, Saturday night’s lane closure on northbound I-15 in Sandy for bridge repairs was postponed.

“We don’t want to add extra delays to people, and we want to make sure that we can do the work with the right conditions, and obviously tonight is not the night,” said Gleason.

With Sunday’s storm not being as strong, it’s a good reminder to get your cars checked out and make sure your tires have enough tread.