What was just a light dusting of snow in many areas — slushy in others — made for a busy morning for the Utah Highway Patrol on Thursday.
By 9:30 a.m., troopers in Utah and Salt Lake Counties had responded to a total of 254 calls, including 105 crashes and 47 stranded motorists. “Please slow down and get to your destination safely,” the UHP tweeted.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm that dropped the snow will taper off by 11 a.m., with a slight chance of more snow after 2 p.m. Accumulations of no more than an inch are forecast for the Salt Lake City area — less than half an inch in Ogden and Provo — with a high temperature of about 37.
The NWS issued a warning echoing the UHP’s: “Slow down, allow extra space between you and neighboring vehicles. Remember bridges, overpasses and elevated highways may be icy before other road areas.”
UHP announced this week that their troopers will be out in force Thursday night, with a DUI blitz and increased DUI enforcement shifts to deter New Year’s Eve revelers who might try to drink and drive.
It’ll be mostly sunny with a high of 34 on New Year’s Day in Salt Lake City, and partly sunny with a high of 38 on Saturday. The next chance for precipitation comes Sunday, with a slight chance of snow and rain — the forecast high is 42. That slight chance of rain and/or snow continues through Wednesday, with daytime highs in the upper 30s to mid-40s and the overnight lows ranging from the lows 20s to about 30.
The snow that hit the St. George area on Thursday morning will change to a rain-snow mix after 11 a.m. before tapering off. There’s just a slight chance of rain after 2 p.m. as temperatures rise to about 45. It’ll be dry New Year’s Day through Monday, with a slight chance of precipitation Monday night into Tuesday.
The NWS forecast calls for daytime highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s, with overnight lows in the upper 20 to low 30s.
