ST. GEORGE —From an overnight wind warning in Cedar City to a mid-week winter storm warning for Zion National Park, Southern Utah appears to be in for another wallop of winter.
The National Weather Service is warning residents in Cedar City, Beaver, Delta, Little Sahara and Milford to prepare for potentially damaging winds of up to 55 mph Monday night through 5 a.m. Tuesday. Sustained winds out of the south are expected to be 25-35 mph.
Conditions will continue to deteriorate, the NWS predicts, as south winds will increase, potentially to gusts of 65 mph in the Southern Mountains, specifically Brian Head and Alton, where 6-12 inches of snow is likely during the day Tuesday and 1-2 feet Tuesday evening through Thursday morning.
State Route 143 is currently closed due to blowing snow between Parowan and Northeast Mammoth Creek Road, the Utah Department of Transportation is reporting. Motorists traveling on US 14 between Cedar City and the US 89 junction are urged to exercise caution and check road conditions by using the 511 option.
Zion National Park appears to be in the crosshairs of this storm system, which has moved in from the Pacific Coast and will traverse the Sierra Mountains and into Utah sometime Tuesday and into Wednesday. According to the NWS website:
Heavy mountain snow will also spread across the Intermountain West, Southwest and central/southern Rockies during this time period. Snowfall amounts over a foot are likely throughout the higher mountain ranges, which will lead to potentially hazardous weather in these regions as well.
Winter driving conditions are expected including state Route 9 through Zion National Park and US 89 to Kanab … Blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibility on exposed ridgelines, including state Route 143 to Brian Head. Traction laws may be enacted.
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
Springdale, Kanab, Escalante and Zion National Park, the Orderville and Glendale areas, as well as near the Mount Carmel-Zion Tunnel could see up to 14 inches of snow by the time the storm ends Thursday.
Temperatures in Cedar City will range from overnight lows of 17 to daytime highs of 34 during the weather advisory. Zion National Park is expected to see lows of 22 and highs in the low 40s.
For St. George, highs will be in the mid-40s with lows in the mid-20s and an 80% chance of a rain-snow mix accompanied by sustained winds 15-25 mph with gusts up to 26, the NWS said.
Click here for more information and up-to-the-minute forecasts and advisories.
Click here for winter road conditions from the Utah Department of Transportation.