Salt Lake City, Utah – Travel above 8,500 feet in northern Utah is becoming increasingly dangerous as heavy, wet snow and powerful ridge-top winds continue through Wednesday afternoon, creating avalanche concerns and hazardous driving conditions.
According to the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 5 p.m. MST Wednesday for the Wasatch Mountains north and south of I-80 and the Western Uinta Mountains. Snowfall totals of 5 to 15 inches are expected, especially in westerly flow-favored terrain such as the Bear River Range. Winds could gust as high as 80 mph along exposed ridgelines. Snow-to-liquid ratios as low as 5-to-1 mean the snow will be unusually dense and heavy.
High elevation routes including Logan Summit, Mirror Lake Highway, Alta, Brighton, and Wolf Creek Pass face the greatest impact. Upper Cottonwood Canyon roads may see slushy buildup, falling tree limbs, and sudden visibility drops. Snow levels are expected to rise to between 9,000 and 9,500 feet this evening before lowering to around 8,000 feet Wednesday morning, shifting impacts to additional roadways.
The Utah Avalanche Center warns that dangerous backcountry conditions already exist. Heavy snow loading combined with wind could rapidly increase avalanche danger. Travelers should check road conditions at udottraffic.utah.gov and carry winter survival gear.
Conditions are expected to gradually improve after 5 p.m. Wednesday, but unstable snowpack concerns may persist beyond the advisory window.
