Utah valleys should stay mostly clear of snow with the latest storm

SALT LAKE CITY — The next storm to hit Utah arrived Monday afternoon. And it will come in two different pieces, according to the National Weather Service.

“This is kind of a two-part event,” said Michael Wessler, of the National Weather Service, to KSL NewsRadio. “The first part is going to be a fast-moving, relatively warm storm that taps into some background moisture that is lingering in the area.

He says that will bring pretty extensive rainfall to valleys across the state.

Storm will bring snow to the mountains

Additionally, Wessler says this storm is going to add to the snow totals at the higher elevations. 

“Mountains absolutely will see snow,” he said. “Snow levels will be high initially.”

He says the snow levels will start at 7,000 feet, which means valley benches across the Wasatch Front will start out with rain.

“However, mountains should expect over a foot of snow over the course of the first piece of the event,” he said. “And that’s through midday Tuesday.”

Wessler says with the exception of higher elevations, the valleys should stay clear of the snow.

Getting to the resorts

Wessler says most of the snow stacking up will take place overnight Monday into Tuesday.

He says Tuesday morning could be a little dicey for those trying to get to the ski resorts.

“Tomorrow morning could be a little hairy getting up the Cottonwood canyons,” Wessler said. “It could be a little hairy going over the top of Parleys.” 

Second part of the Utah storm

Wessler says the second piece of the storm will arrive Tuesday night and will last into Wednesday morning. 

He says the second part of the storm will tap into colder air. He says Utah can expect a colder system by Wednesday morning, which will bring snow levels down.

By the end of the storm, Wessler says the valleys could get 1 to 2 inches of snow. 

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