Snow, rain wreak havoc across state

More weather woes were expected today after unrelenting rain, snow and snowmelt from Logan to St. George wreaked havoc throughout the state Tuesday — destroying homes, causing accidents and creating power outages.

Logan city offices and garbage collection were to shut down today. Stormy weather downed power lines and closed Utah State University on Tuesday.

In flood-stricken southern Utah, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. declared a state of emergency, a move that could trigger federal aid.

Along the Wasatch Front, Snowbird's ski patrol worked overtime on avalanche control, closing more than half the resort. And a winter storm warning was issued throughout most of the I-15 corridor.

Some 400 Cache Valley customers were without power Tuesday evening due to snow and wind that downed some power lines, Utah Power spokesman Jeff Hymas said. Earlier in the day, as many as 3,500 customers were without power.

USU canceled classes Tuesday afternoon and evening for only the second time in 20 years, campus officials said. But they said classes would resume today. The call came as campus and Logan city crews struggled to clear parking lots, sidewalks and streets. While snowboarders were living it up on Old Main Hill, campus officials worried about students with disabilities being able to get around.

"We just decided we need to let people get out," USU President Kermit Hall said.

Cache Valley areas were expected to get 8 to 10 more inches of snow Tuesday night into this morning, the National Weather Service reported.

Cache and Logan superintendents could close schools today, depending on conditions, Logan Board of Education member Lynn Hobbs said.

In Little Cottonwood Canyon, Snowbird avalanche control crews triggered an unprecedented slide in the Thunder Bowl area on the resort's western edge, spokesman Dave Fields said. The avalanche took out some established trees and deposited snow in a lift shack at the top of the Baby Thunder lift, which was closed at the time.

Windy conditions have left weak layers in the snowpack, making for exceptionally unstable conditions, Fields said. More than half of Snowbird was closed Tuesday and some ski patrol members had not been home in up to five days due to extended work hours.

"There are some tired people up here trying to make this safe for everyone," Fields said.