Storm brings high winds to N Utah, snow to S Utah


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SALT LAKE CITY — Commuters faced high winds in parts of northern Utah Monday morning, while southern Utah saw a return to winter with some locations receiving over 10 inches of snow.

A high wind warning was in effect along the Wasatch Front until about noon, with the most severe gusts expected near the mouths of the canyons.

Gusts up to 62 mph were reported in Farmington, with winds at 54 mph in Ogden and on the Bountiful Bench.

Witnesses reported some semitrucks parked along parts of southbound I-15. Motorists reported wind damaged traffic lights on Foothill near the mouth of Parleys Canyon.

A winter storm warning is still in effect for most of southern Utah until Tuesday morning, as snow showers continue to fall across the region.

At least a foot of snow, possibly two feet in the hills, hit people in Cedar City the hardest.

"We're used to big storms. Unfortunately, we haven't been used to big storms this year," said Cedar City Police Sgt. Jimmy Roden.

"There's probably about 12 to 14 inches, and that's probably come since yesterday about 2 in the morning, and so a good 24 hours of good snow," said Naomi Hatch, a resident of Cedar City.

The storm closed down schools in San Juan County and knocked out power for over a thousand customers. Cedar City police responded to eight crashes.

"Between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. is when we had the bulk of our accidents and slide-offs and those kinds of things," Roden said.

Despite the havoc the storm caused, some people welcomed the snow.

"We'll take it anytime, especially where we haven't had much this year," Roden said.

"It's a blessing and a curse: You have to shovel it, but we sure need the water," said Owen Bowles, another resident of Cedar City.

Water experts agree, but say this storm may be too little and too late to bring desperately needed water levels up to where they need to be.

"We've been in four years ... of below-average snowpack, below average storms. Soils have been dry," said Brian McInerny, hydrologist with the National Weather Service.

"And when you have 50 percent of normal come out of the mountains after three consecutive years of dry conditions, and this will be the fourth, it's the agriculture community that will feel the effects originally," he said. "And that's unfortunate because they've had such a bad time of it for these four years."

Monday's snowstorm even reached Utah's Dixie, with 3 inches falling in Washington and 2 inches reported in St. George.

Get the complete forecast on the KSL Weather Page. Also, check the home page of KSL.com for commute times, and get traffic updates on KSL NewsRadio.

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Nicole Vowell

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