SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 5, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — If Sunday night’s weather conditions are any indication, Monday morning commuters need to be ready for a wintry drive to work.
From late Sunday afternoon well into the night, Rocky Mountain Power crews have been working to restore power to customers affected by weather-related outages.
At 9 p.m., according to RMP’s website, 16,785 customers were without power, and because of the extensive damage, the company was unable to estimate restoration times for all affected customers. Traffic lights were not working in some areas Sunday night, adding to the delays caused by poor visibility.
People are being warned to stay away from downed power lines and avoid areas where crews are working to repair lines and blown transformers.
For updates on outages or to report a problem to Rocky Mountain Power, call 877-508-5088.
A winter storm warning is in effect until 4 p.m. Monday for the northern Wasatch Mountains. The National Weather Service is forecasting 12 to 20 inches of snow in the higher elevations.
Snow is expected to continue through the night into Monday morning, tapering off Monday afternoon.
The high winds that buffeted the area ahead of the cold front Sunday afternoon should have decreased by Monday morning, but will still be a concern.
Blowing and drifting snow is expected across all mountain routes, the weather service warns. On Sunday night, Utah Department of Transportation tweeted, “4X4/Chains required all vehicles both directions I-80 Parleys Canyon, Salt Lake Co.”
And with the temperatures dropping, drivers should expect slick roads in the morning. Everyone is advised to allow extra time to reach your destination, exercise caution, and just slow down.
For winter road conditions from UDOT, go to http://www.udottraffic.utah.gov/roadweatherforecast.aspx or dial 511.
