SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - An avalanche closed a stretch of U.S. Highway 89 north of Logan on Tuesday as a wet storm packing heavy snow and strong winds shut down two northern Utah ski resorts and triggered a winter storm warning across much of the state.
The National Weather Service issued the storm warning effective until 4 a.m. Wednesday for most of north-central Utah from the Idaho and Wyoming state lines south to U.S. Interstate 70.
Ten inches of snow fell overnight in the Wasatch range north of Interstate 80 at Powder Mountain and 8 inches south of I-80 at Brighton Crest, the service said Tuesday. An 80 mph gust of wind was recorded at Ogden Peak on Monday night.
Another 3 to 6 inches of snow was expected in the upper elevations into early Wednesday, with winds gusting in excess 60 mph above 7,500 feet. “The combination of strong winds and heavy snow will likely create periods of near-zero visibility due to blowing snow,” the service said.
The extreme conditions forced the closure Tuesday of Sundance Mountain Resort northeast of Provo and the Powder Mountain Resort northeast of Ogden.
The U.S. Forest Services’ Utah Avalanche Center in Salt Lake City issued an avalanche warning effective until 6 a.m. Wednesday for backcountry recreationists in northern Utah and southeastern Idaho, including the Wasatch, western Uinta, Bear River and Wellsville ranges.
U.S. Highway 89 would be closed indefinitely through Logan Canyon after an avalanche crossed a section of road known as the Dugway on Tuesday afternoon, state transportation officials said.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries. Travelers were advised to use I-80/84 through Evanston, Wyoming or Idaho Highway 36 via Preston, Idaho.
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