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SALT LAKE CITY — A winter snowstorm that rolled into Utah Friday afternoon didn't cause many problems evening commuters.
The storm, however, is expected to intensify Friday night into Saturday, and will continue throughout the weekend. Forecasters are expecting a total of 3 to 7 inches of snow in Salt Lake County.
Throughout the evening commute, traffic on all the main thoroughfares along the Wasatch Front moved relatively smoothly.
In Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, where the snow was falling more heavily, the Utah Department of Transportation restricted traffic to vehicles with four-wheel drive or chains for a time. The canyons have since been re-opened to all traffic.
But UDOT representatives hope the mild nature of Friday's storm doesn't cause drivers to let down their guard.
"We still have some concerns for some scattered snow showers throughout the night, and so we are recommending that people slow down, especially as temperatures drop. There are some black ice concerns," said UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo.
Carrillo said UDOT is preparing for more traffic problems Saturday, as the weather is expected to worsen. The agency has created a Road Weather Alert page on www.utahcommuterlink.com to warn drivers of anticipated road conditions on the state's main thoroughfares. Visit http://www.utahcommuterlink.com/CLALertViewer.aspx?CLType=2 for more information.
Video contribution: Mike Anderson
