The storm that blanketed Summit County with snow this week, creating havoc on the roads for drivers, could move out of the area this weekend.
Cities like Kamas, Coalville and Park City were hit with several inches of snow and strong winds forced closures of chairlifts in Summit County.
On Wednesday, several lifts at Deer Valley were closed the whole day, said Bob Wheaton, president and general manager of Deer Valley Resort.
“When we opened at 9 a.m. yesterday, we had the Jordanelle Gondola, Deer Crest quad, Mayflower lift, Wasatch, Sterling, Sultan, Crown Point and Empire on wind hold,” Wheaton said Thursday. “At about 9:30 we were able to get Wasatch open on Bald Mountain.”
The Empire Express and Sultan Express lifts opened between 1:30 and 2 p.m.
No lifts were closed at Deer Valley on Thursday.
“It’s a full-blown powder day today,” Wheaton said.
Several inches of snow fell at Canyons, which impacted chairlifts at the resort. Early in the week strong winds forced the temporary closures of Ninety-Nine 90 Express and Super Condor Express.
“There are not a lot of wind delays, but certainly in the front part of storms that can happen,” Canyons Managing Director Mike Goar said.
Wind also significantly impacted chairlift operations at Park City Mountain Resort this week, a PCMR spokeswoman said.
Some lifts at Park City Mountain Resort were closed the entire day Wednesday.
On Thursday, vehicles in Parleys Canyon still needed four-wheel drive or chains, said Adan Carrillo, a spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation.
“We were experiencing some snow flurries this morning and we are expecting some lake-effect snow later this afternoon,”
Carrillo said. “We may not be experiencing a whole lot of snowfall out there right now, but because the temperatures are cold, the snow is not melting fast enough.”
Summit County resident Linda Jager said she followed a snowplow while driving down Parleys Canyon Thursday morning.
“It wasn’t too bad,” Jager said. “I was probably going 45 to 50.”
On Wednesday, chains were required in Parleys Canyon on all vehicles without four-wheel drive.
“Parleys had its problems because of the accumulation of snow,” Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Todd Johnson said.
Troopers stopped cars and screened drivers at the mouth of the canyon. They ordered those without four-wheel drive or chains to leave the roadway.
“Semis had to stop and chain up,” Johnson said.
Still, there were several traffic crashes in Parleys Canyon on Wednesday.
“There was nothing real serious as far as injuries,” Johnson said. “Mainly, they were slide offs with damage.”
A Pinebrook man said he went shopping for snow tires for his Chevrolet Avalanche after his Wednesday morning commute through Parleys Canyon.
“On the way down I stopped at Big O and bought some tires,” Tyler Goucher said. “I was trying to make it through the winter on the old tires but I figured it wasn’t worth it It’s amazing the difference a set of snow tires will make.”
Motorists on the East Side of Summit County also experienced traffic delays because of the storm.
Coalville resident Tyler Rowser said he used Interstate 80 on Wednesday to commute to his job in Evanston, Wyo.
“It was slick,” Rowser said.
Semitrailers on the snow-packed highway were fishtailing in Echo Canyon, he explained.
“You could see their trailers sliding out from behind them,” Rowser said. “The back ends of the trucks would slide into the other lane.”
This weekend, icy conditions are possible in Summit County if temperatures continue to fall.
“I know it’s supposed to be cold with continued snow into Friday We think there are going to be icy spots here, there and everywhere,” Johnson said. “People just need to anticipate that any stretch of the highway could have ice.”
Avalanche danger could also be high in some areas of Summit County this weekend. For updated slide reports contact the Utah Avalanche Center at 888-999-4019 or visit www.utahavalanchecenter.com.