A winter storm warning is in effect until 5 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15 for the Park City and Heber City areas. The National Weather Service says there could be 10 to 20 inches of snow accumulation.
In anticipation of avalanche danger Saturday night, the Utah Department of Transportation is closing multiple mountain routes, including Provo Canyon. Provo Canyon will be closed from 10 p.m. Saturday to 12 p.m. Sunday.
Park City Mountain started Saturday with 16 inches of new snow. The resort said the weather caused “significant impacts to lifts and terrain due to high winds from this storm cycle.” There was no mountain access out of Canyons Village at the beginning of the day. Red Pine Gondola opened mid-morning.
Deer Valley Resort reported that crews were working quickly to open lifts and asked for guests’ patience. It reported 16 inches of new snow Saturday morning as well.
So far, the storm has made travel difficult. Around 270 vehicles were stranded Friday night on Highway 40 near Strawberry Reservoir due to wind and whiteout conditions. The road had to be closed and crews spent around four hours evacuating drivers.
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, Highway 40 could close again if conditions are bad and Utahns should stay home if possible. But if drivers are out, slow down. If your vehicle slides off the road, stay in the vehicle as there’s a good chance someone else will slide off there too. It’s also a good idea to keep emergency gear, including blankets, water and food, in your vehicle.
The storm has also made avalanche danger high throughout most of the state. The Utah Avalanche Center says the avalanche danger will likely rise to extreme as the storm continues. The center has issued an avalanche danger warning for the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains through 6 a.m. Sunday.
On Friday there was a 45-foot-wide avalanche in Summit Park near Parley’s Canyon. It was triggered by a backcountry skier and no injuries were reported.
Due to the continued snowfall, Park City has updated the snow haul schedule. Teams will haul snow from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. from Jan. 15 to 17 on Main Street, Swede Alley, Heber Ave., Park Ave. from Heber Ave. to Deer Valley Dr., and on Prospector Ave., Sidewinder Dr., and Poison Creek Lane in Prospector. The city asks residents to remove vehicles and trash cans from streets and sidewalks.
Parking will be closed on the West side of Main Street after snow haul operations Monday and will remain closed through Jan. 24.
