Oh, the weather outside is going to be frightful, according to the weather experts.
Not only did snow fall along the Wasatch Front on Saturday, but more is on the way, said Randy Graham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City. A winter storm watch has been declared for central and southern Utah, but Graham said Ogden will also see significant snow through Tuesday. He said two to five inches of snow fell on the Top of Utah on Saturday.
"We had an arctic front with temperatures in the low- to mid-20s over the weekend, which resulted in very slick travel conditions," Graham said. "We will continue to see very slick road conditions."
As snow fell Saturday, the Utah Highway Patrol and other emergency responders struggled to keep up with the accidents.
Weber County sherriff's deputies were responding to an accident at the northeast corner of 1900 West and Midland Drive around 4:30 p.m., when another crash occurred right in front of their eyes.
A red Ford Thunderbird, driven by Ogden resident Mark Forrest, 49, was turning left from Midland Drive onto southbound 1900 West when it was struck by another car and then slid driver side into a nearby utility pole.
"We were on our way to visit his Dad," said Wendy Smith, a passenger and owner of the car that Forrest was driving. "All I remember is spinning across the road then we slammed into the pole and banged our heads pretty hard."
Forrest was knocked unconscious in the crash.
"When we arrived the driver was not very responsive," said Sherriff's Sgt. Chris Bitton. "Initially we requested that he be air lifted from the scene, but later called it off as he regained conciousness and became more alert."
Bitton attributed multiple accidents at the intersection to the railroad tracks that cross it diagonally.
"With weather like this the rubber protecting the railroad tracks becomes very slippery and acts much like ice to anyone driving or walking across it," Bitton said.
"It's been a nightmare," Jesse Valenzuela, spokesman for the Utah Highway Patrol, said late Saturday afternoon. "It's all we can do to get to the calls. The troopers are all back-logged. It's been a crazy day."
Valenzuela was still waiting for data to be documented Saturday afternoon, but confirmed there had been more than 15 collisions at various locations along Interstate 15 with the biggest taking place in Tooele. Eastbound I-80 was closed at mile marker 102 around 11:20 a.m. for a couple of hours while crews cleaned up a 20-car pile up that included three semis.
"Ice has been the enemy," he said.
UHP troopers and emergency personnel were responding to rollovers, slideoffs and fender-benders from Tremonton to Salt Lake City. A handful of accidents occurred on I-15 near Brigham City's 1100 South exit around 10 a.m.
"Brigham City has had its share of problems today," Valenzuela said.
The Tooele County Sheriff's Office sent out a news advisory asking residents to stay home and refrain from driving toward Salt Lake City as much as they can until the snowstorm ended.
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