SALT LAKE CITY — Better late than never.
A string of storms rolling across Utah this week will bring highly anticipated snow to the Utah mountains, along with considerable amounts to the valleys, which have barely seen a snowflake in what has been one of the worst winters in state history.
TRACK THE STORMS: Get real-time storm information by downloading the FREE Utah Weather Authority app
When all is said and done, by Thursday evening, the valleys may see up to 4 inches of snow and up to two feet in the mountains, and possibly three feet in the upper Cottonwood canyons.
The first round of mountain snow will roll in late Monday evening, and is expected to be heavy at times, through Tuesday morning, with primarily rain in the valleys, although some snow along the benches.
A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for the Wasatch Back and Wasatch Mountains, including areas such as Park City, Heber City, Alta and Huntsville, starting at 5 p.m. Monday and will last through 5 a.m. Thursday. A Warning will also start at 5 p.m. for the southern mountains, including Alton and Brian Head, and will remain in effect until 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Driving conditions will decrease with the arrival of the first storm, although a threat of road snow will exist only for routes above 5,500 feet, like the Wasatch Back, Parleys Canyons, and higher portions of Interstate 15 and US-89, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.
A greater chance of valley snowfall will begin with the arrival of a new storm on Wednesday and continue into Thursday, with 2-4 inches of snow possible, at the most extreme. While the snow may not be heavy, it should have a big impact on local valley roads and highways.
The storms are forecast to create dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains, with the Utah Avalanche Center saying large natural and human-triggered avalanches are likely.
"The incoming storm will overload widespread fragile layers of weak, faceted snow that formed during the mid-winter dry spell. This setup is well known for producing dangerous, unpredictable avalanches that can be triggered remotely and break much wider and larger than expected," the center wrote.
All areas of the state will start to dry out by Friday and into the weekend.
