It is time to take a deep breath, throw on the parka and tackle some of the snow that struck the Wasatch Front Monday overnight into Tuesday morning.
The storm caused white-knuckle driving, multiple accidents due to icy and slick conditions and delayed the start of schools in Davis County by two hours.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City said the storm totals were impressive, including 19 inches at Powder Mountain.
AcuWeather said snow blanketing the Rockies is just the tip of the spear as the unsettled weather moves east.
Approximately 40 million people in the south-central United States will be at risk for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday alone, the weather site reported.
“We are fairly confident that there will be multiple tornadoes on the ground from late Tuesday to early Tuesday night,” AccuWeather chief on-air meteorologist Bernie Rayno said. “People should take this threat seriously.”
Utah’s snow illustrated the wonders of lake effect, with Clearfield receiving 7.9 inches and Kaysville receiving 9.2 inches. North Salt Lake received 6.7 inches.
The National Weather service is reporting the statewide snowpack at 153% of the median, and that does not include the snow that dropped Tuesday morning.
As the storm tapers off Wednesday it is expected to leave behind a bone-chilling cold with temperatures dipping down to 18 degrees overnight.
More storm activity is forecast for Friday and Sunday.
