Photo: Morgan Wilkins
SALT LAKE CITY — A large arctic storm system has brought cold temperatures and hurricane-force winds to Utah that has knocked out power, flipped semis and canceled school across northern Utah.
The National Weather Service reported multiple weather stations across northern Utah that measured winds gusting more than 90 mph.
Rocky Mountain Power reported 654 outages across Utah affecting 58,535 customers.
The strong winds and power outages led the Salt Lake, Davis, Ogden and Weber Districts to close for the day.
The high winds also affected travel. UDOT placed restrictions on most of the freeways across the Wasatch Front. Also affected on Tuesday was I-80 near Evanston. Winter weather conditions and high winds closed I-80 in both directions at the Wyoming state line.
“We’ve had several semis blown over — three on Legacy Parkway, two earlier in Box Elder County, as well as several others as well,” UDOT spokesman John Gleason told KSL NewsRadio. “There’s an issue out there right now with the huge wind gusts. We’re seeing gusts up to 80 miles per hour and we could expect even heavier winds as we head into the rest of the morning.”
Gleason recommended if there is any flexibility in your schedule to try and remain inside, but if you need to travel, to keep both hands on the wheel and watch out for debris on the roadway.
“We’re asking everybody that’s out on the road today just to pay attention and make sure that you’re aware of the situation,” he continued.
Not only was there lots of wind across northern Utah, but some areas of the state also saw their first snow of the season.
Arctic storm system to bring high winds and cold temps to northern Utah