SALT LAKE CITY — A winter storm sweeping over the northern Rockies is bringing the season’s first significant snowfall to Utah and hammering parts of Wyoming and Montana.
Northern Utah ski areas reported getting as much as 15 inches by early Thursday, with several feet more expected in the coming days. The National Weather Service said the storm will continue today, then pause briefly before another blast over the weekend.
Officials reported 100-mph wind gusts in the Wyoming Range and said up to 46 inches of snow had already fallen in the Teton Range northwest of Jackson. In Montana, a foot of snow fell on Helena, Missoula and in the Billings area. The storm triggered avalanche warnings near Yellowstone National Park and sent temperatures plummeting below zero in places.
High winds and drifting snow closed Wyoming 22 on Thursday morning between Jackson and the Idaho state line. Snow was piling up in the region and could total 4 feet by Friday.
Avalanche warnings were issued throughout the northern Rockies. The Utah Avalanche Center advised skiers to stay out of the backcountry for at least several days. Officials said the snow piling up in the Wasatch mountains was almost certain to slide on steeper slopes.
Another wintry blast is expected to sweep through the northern Rockies on Saturday into Sunday.
In southwestern Idaho, a snow-starved ski resort above Boise rejoiced with nearly a foot of new snow at Bogus Basin Mountain Resort. Lifts rumbled to life Thursday and marked the ski area’s latest opening in its 69-year history. The Associated Press
