Skiers advised to leave Cottonwood resorts early as storm rolls in

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Skiers and snowboarders in both Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons are being advised to leave the resorts and ski areas early as winter storms begin to move into the state.

On Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, the Utah Department of Transportation advised travelers that snow is expected to hit the Cottonwood areas “heavy and hard” during peak downhill travel times between 3 and 5 p.m.

“Please consider leaving before road conditions worsen,” UDOT said on a Twitter/X post. “Heavy travel delays [and] stopped traffic [are] likely.”

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The heavy band of snow is expected to bring intense snowfall with more than an inch of snow per hour and strong winds. UDOT warned these conditions could create blowing snow, reduced visibility, and snow squall conditions by late afternoon with roads getting covered in snow.

A timeline of snow squall potential shows the heavy band of snow will begin hitting the southern Idaho-northern Utah border by 3 p.m. An hour later, Ogden will start seeing the brunt of the storm while Salt Lake City and Provo could see squalls pick up around 5 p.m.

ABC4 Meteorologist Thomas Geboy, who has been tracking the storm as it made its way to the Beehive State, said the Cottonwood Canyons could see as much as three feet of snowfall between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

“By 11 a.m., all of the winter alerts we have will be in effect,” said Geboy. “Going to be a busy 48-hour stretch with waves of snow especially in northern Utah.”

The Cottonwoods in Salt Lake County are home to many of Utah’s most notable ski resorts and ski areas including Snowbird, Alta, Brighton and Solitude. UDOT crews said the canyons were already seeing icy and snowy conditions on Monday night, with bigger storms on the way.

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