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SALT LAKE CITY — Travel on Utah roads this weekend is expected to be extremely difficult due to multiple winter weather advisories and heavy snow. And travelers driving to the Rose Bowl are advised to leave before Sunday to avoid the worst day of travel.
KSL meteorologist Matthew Johnson said drivers heading to Pasadena, California, for the game should see clear roads most of Saturday, but I-15 between Salt Lake City and Cedar City is expected to see snow most of the day on Sunday.
“(The) worst day to travel is Sunday. … If traveling to the Rose Bowl, get on the road before (then),” he said.
Rain will continue in the valleys along the Wasatch Front Friday and Saturday, but is expected to turn to snow on Sunday. The valleys could accumulate between 1 and 2 inches of snow by the time the storm passes Monday.
All Utah mountains are expected to have up to 3 feet of snow between Friday and Monday. The Wasatch Mountains could get between 2 and 5 feet of snow over the weekend, with high amounts found in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Little Cottonwood Canyon. A brief lull in snowfall will occur Saturday, but snow will pick up again by Sunday morning.
Heavy snow between 6 and 12 inches is projected for the Wasatch Back, which is under a winter weather advisory through Monday morning.
To get updated forecasts in your area, visit the KSL Weather page.
With so much snow expected, an avalanche watch is in effect in most Utah mountains through 6 a.m. Saturday, with avalanche danger expected to be high.
“This storm is going to increase avalanche danger even more with it being a wet, heavy snow falling on an already weak layer up there,” Johnson said.
The latest winter storm will add to a snowpack that is already well above average, Johnson said, and this storm could make this month one of the snowiest Decembers on record. Alta has already accumulated 137 inches this month, up from the average of 92 inches.
If the weekend goes as expected, total snow accumulation between 167 and 177 inches could make for the third snowiest December on record, behind 244 inches in 1983 and 184 inches in 1981. Third place is currently held by 1996, which totaled 165 inches.
Road Weather Alert:
The first round of a prolonged winter storm will bring heavy mountain snow and some minor valley impacts to northern and central UT Friday through Saturday night.
For more info: https://t.co/4P1gO2c9Uo@UtahTrucking
#utwx#utsnowpic.twitter.com/AOnCsCA1FU— UDOT Traffic (@UDOTTRAFFIC) December 29, 2022
A winter weather advisory for Bear Lake and Bear River Valley is in effect and predicts 4-12 inches of snow by Monday morning.
A winter storm watch is set for Saturday afternoon to Sunday evening for the up to 30 inches of snow predicted to hit mountains in southern Utah and the Brian Head area.
The National Weather Service says travel will be “very difficult to impossible.” Due to the warm nature of this storm system, a rain-snow mixture is expected.
Eastern Box Elder County and Cache Valley will likely encounter …….