Icy roads make for messy morning commute as next storms approach

SALT LAKE CITY — After digging out from a weekend of storms that dropped the first snow of 2024 to valley areas, keep the shovels handy as a full week of storms is expected across the state.

Monday morning, icy road conditions made for a tough commute in some areas, specifically in Utah County.

LIVE: Watch as traffic builds up due to multiple crashes caused by slick roads in Utah County

Several crashes were reported on the stretch of I-15 between American Fork and Lehi as commuters hit the road during the early morning hours.

Utah Highway Patrol told FOX 13 News that “multiple cars” were involved in separate crashes along the highway and a crew had been dispatched to quickly salt the road due to the slickness.

Though an exact number of incidents wasn’t made available, the Utah Department of Transportation warned of more than five crashes in the area affecting both directions of traffic.

Crews were also hard at work Monday morning in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, with a mixture of snow and ice in lower canyon areas and a thick layer of packed snow in the middle and upper canyons.

Due to the dangerous driving conditions, the traction law was put in effect, meaning cars must be checked and properly equipped before heading into the canyons.

The messing morning commute comes after a weekend of storms that dropped several inches of snow across Utah.

Utah Highway Patrol was occupied through the entire weekend, with troopers reportedly responding to about 280 crashes from Friday through Saturday. Ice and snow contributed to especially difficult driving conditions across the state.

Even though Monday will stay mostly clear, there could be some isolated snow showers during the morning hours. Snow will stay mostly in the mountains but lake effect showers are possible in Salt Lake and Tooele Counties.

Storms have moved on for now but extremely cold temperatures are lingering on Monday. At Zion and Bryce National Parks, the wind chill will contribute to temperatures that feel below zero.

Across Utah, high temperatures are expected to remain below freezing.

Larger counties issued “Code Blue” protocol during the weekend due to the frigid conditions, opening shelters and overflows to help everyone stay warm during especially cold nights.

The snow won’t let up anytime soon, with winter weather expected as soon as Tuesday.

Most weather alerts issued for the weekend expired Monday at 5 a.m., giving everyone a little break to clean up before the next storms take over.

Winter Storm watches have already been issued before the next round of snow. The alerts are currently in effect from Tuesday morning until Thursday.

The next storm moves into northern Utah Tuesday afternoon through the evening hours. Snow could be heavy at times in the mountains, but even the valleys could see a decent amount of snow on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s storms are just the beginning, with a series that will keep snow in the forecast and low temperatures throughout Utah into the weekend.