Utah drivers urged to stay off roads for severe snowstorm Monday

Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Multiple schools, government offices announce late morning starts

SALT LAKE CITY — City and state officials are urging drivers to stay off the roads ahead of what’s expected to be the most severe snowstorm so far this winter on Monday.

Some schools and school districts have also announced they will start late or cancel morning classes.

“Temperatures will be plummeting pretty much all day for most locations in northern Utah,” said KSL meteorologist Dan Guthrie.

Southern Utah won’t see as much snow, but will experience temperatures in the 30s, Guthrie said.

The snowfall is expected to last through Tuesday morning, with another storm possibly making its way through the state on Wednesday.

The Utah Department of Transportation is working with the governor’s office “just to make sure that we have the best plan going forward,” department spokesman John Gleason said Sunday.

“And forecasting can be a little bit difficult ... but all indications are that this is a major winter storm. So we’re recommending that if people have flexibility with their travel tomorrow, that they stay off the roads as much as possible. If you can work from home ... that helps us to keep everyone safe, that’s the top priority,” Gleason explained.

More drivers staying off the roads would also allow crews extra space to clear them, he said. Many slide-offs and fender benders are expected in severe storms, he said, which can also delay snow plows.

“The next 48 hours are going to be crucial. We’re going to be out there going back and forth over the road,” Gleason said.

After the snowfall begins subsiding on Monday evening, ice concerns will increase with dipping temperatures, he said, and Tuesday morning could bring another perilous commute.

“Our forecast confidence for this winter storm is continuously rising, and is high overall at this time. Periods of moderate to heavy snowfall will generate significant impacts to the Monday morning and, most likely, the evening commute,” said Charlotte Dewey, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, during a Sunday briefing about the storm.

She said the snowfall will become increasingly heavy during the Monday morning commute, moving south throughout the day.

The weather is expected to impact travel through the I-15 corridor from Idaho to Cedar City, Dewey said.

Valley areas will see at least 5 inches of snow, she said, with Salt Lake City getting between 8 and 12 inches, Tooele should expect 18 to 24 inches, Sandy 12 to 18 inches, with an anticipated 4 to 6 inches in Brigham City.

Several school districts have announced plans to either start late, or cancel morning classes Monday due to expected snowy conditions, including:

• The University of Utah canceled classes before 12:30 p.m., but the university’s health system will remain open.
• The Davis, Provo, Weber and Box Elder school districts will each start two hours later than normal, district officials said. Ascent Academy in Farmington will also start two hours late.
• All five Spectrum Academy campuses in North Salt Lake and Pleasant Grove, as well as NUAMES Early College High School in Layton and Ogden and East Hollywood High will have a two-hour delayed start.
• Tooele, Granite, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Murray school districts as well as Utah Valley University have all said they plan to open at the same time as usual, but will reevaluate conditions in the morning.
• Nebo School District will decide by 6:30 a.m. whether to cancel school for the day, and will let parents know via email, text and phone if they do choose to cancel it. Alpine School District officials said they’ll consider whether or not to cancel school by 5:30 a.m., and will notify parents through social media and a district communication system.
• Syracuse Arts Academy is cancelling its morning kindergarten classes and starting morning classes two hours late.
• LDS Business College will close its campus until noon, and decide by 10 a.m. if afternoon and evening classes need to be canceled.
• The Ogden, Salt Lake City and Springville campuses of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind will start two hours late. Its pre-school classes are canceled.

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office said that all non-essential city services will telecommute or be on emergency leave until noon Monday “with a determination to be made at 10 a.m. regarding work functions for the remainder of the day.”

“City snowfighters will begin treatment on priority roads beginning this evening. It is likely that refuse collection will be delayed by a day this week,” according to the statement.

All non-essential services in Sandy will either function via telecommuting or be on emergency leave until noon Monday, city officials said on Twitter.

Sandy city officials also said that its non-essential services will telecommute or begin at noon.

The Utah Legislature announced that committee meetings will be delayed until 9 a.m. Monday and floor time will begin at 11 a.m.

Contributing: Dan Bammes

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