Winter returned in all its fury as a heavy storm, complete with strong winds and drifting, blowing snow, moved into the state early Tuesday, resulting in hazardous driving conditions and the closure of many schools.
"This is one sweetheart of a storm," quipped National Weather Service meteorologist William J. Alder as substantial amounts of snow and other wild weather conditions were recorded on Valentine's Day. "There's no red. Everything's white," he said."It's a real strong system, containing all the elements of a major storm, including lots of moisture and cold air," Alder said. "The barometer had dropped to 29.28 inches of mercury by 6:25 a.m. at the Salt Lake International Airport. The pressure doesn't drop that low very often."
While Alder and other water watchers were relishing heavy amounts of moisture, most motorists and others were not happy as they found themselves snarled in traffic during the fast-moving storm.
Deseret News staff writer Dion Harris, who was en route to Salt Lake City from Denver Tuesday, said freeway conditions were very hazardous on I-80 in Wyoming and Utah.
"The roads are very icy. Visibility has been very bad most of the morning. I saw a few semitrailers that had overturned near Rawlins, Wyo.," Harris said in a telephone call at 9 a.m. from Echo Junction.
Traveling conditions were also hazardous along the Wasatch Front and in other areas. Many commuters reported that it took them 11/2 to two or more hours to travel 20 to 40 miles to work.
Commuter traffic on I-15 began slowing down minutes after the first snowflakes hit the pavement. Dispatchers from various police agencies said numerous accidents occurred in areas where the storm hit, but no serious injury accidents had been reported as of 10 a.m. in Davis and Salt Lake counties.
Davis-area dispatchers reported that while some accidents involved two or, in a few cases, three vehicles, there were dozens more of single-car slide-offs involving only minor or no property damage. In many cases, they said, the drivers simply pushed their vehicles back on the road and went on with the commute.
A Utah Transit Authority driver lost control and the bus slid off the road at about 2900 Highland Drive, and a Ute cab and a Shilo Inn shuttle vehicle collided, hitting the median at about 4000 West on I-80.
A four-car pileup in North Salt Lake clogged southbound traffic out of Davis County during the morning.
Police officers said north and southbound lanes of 700 East between 3000 South and 5900 South in Salt Lake County were "like a sheet of ice."
The storm also caused some problems with telephone service.
"We've been getting various reports from Utah," said Mike Trujillo, maintenance administrator for US WEST Communications, based in Phoenix. "I've been getting a lot of calls from people having problems with static on their lines."
Alder said the storm moved into Cache Valley and Box Elder County after midnight, dropping several inches of snow in the valleys and on the mountains. The storm was preceded by heavy rain, thunder and lightning. It was still snowing heavily at noon in Salt Lake City and many other areas, but the storm was expected to taper off Tuesday evening, said National Weather Service meteorologist Peter J. Wilensky.
Ten to 12 inches of snow had fallen Tuesday in Cache Valley, 3-4 inches in the Salt Lake Valley, 5 inches in Roy and 4 inches in Grantsville.
The storm was powerful enough to close public schools in Cache and Rich counties for the first time in years and to keep administrators in nearby districts on the alert.
Rich High School in Randolph was closed for only the second time in 11 years, an administrator said.
Schools elsewhere remained open, but some district officials said it was possible students might be sent home before day's end.
"As long as we have power, our students are better off in school because so many of their parents work and are not home to receive them," said Barbara Hess, assistant to the superintendent of Ogden City Schools. "A few principals are missing a few teachers, but the schools are up and running."
Box Elder County School District officials reported 6 inches of snow, but said schools likely would stay open the rest of the day.
Sardine Canyon between Logan and Brigham City was closed when a truck jack-knifed. The highway, which has been under construction, was still closed at 10 a.m. Visibility was nil.
Morning traffic down the Parleys Canyon slowed to 35 mph. Several vehicles were off the highway, and one westbound car overturned near the mouth of the canyon.
Winds gusted between 35 and 45 mph, creating blizzard, white-out conditions in some areas.
Motorists had to cope not only with blowing, drifting snow but a rapid drop in temperatures, which compounded hazardous conditions on the highways. Temperatures dropped 16 degrees between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. at the Salt Lake International Aiport.
Barbara Gann, public relations director for the Salt Lake Airport Authority, said travelers had to contend with some flight delays. High winds and blowing, drifting snow was creating some problems, she said.