Blizzard wreaking havoc across Wasatch Front--No Kidding!

Blizzard wreaking havoc across Wasatch Front
February 13th, 2008 @ 10:30pm

KSL Team Coverage

Winter returns to the Wasatch Front and wallops drivers with snow and lots of wind tonight. It has caused power outages, road closures, school closures and lots of headaches and wait time for drivers trying to get home.

Sam Penrod at the Point of the Mountain
I've been near Thanksgiving Point for the last three hours and the situation just keeps getting worse with the snow and wind. I would describe it as an emergency situation around the Point of the Mountain.

Blowing snow makes it difficult to see and people are stuck in traffic, they are stuck in the snow, and it's getting to the point that there's really nowhere for people to go.

Southbound traffic is beginning to improve and clear out, but conditions are still dangerous. It looks like it'll still be a couple hours before traffic is all clear again.


About 7 p.m. we traveled on S.R. 92 near the Micron IM Flash Plant, looking for a stranded school bus. To me, personally, it was frightening, because the snow was drifting so fast, we couldn't see where we were going. We could see dozens of cars that drove off or slid off the road and were stranded.

We finally turned around back to the freeway and had to use our GPS compass to drive directly west so we could stay on the road, because we couldn't see where we were going.

This is how people trying to drive home to Alpine described the scene.

"It's crazy. It's wild. I've never seen anything like it."

"It's the worst snow I've ever seen in Utah."

People have been running out of gas, sliding off the road, some are losing their patience and don't know where to go.

I've talked to people who have spent five hours getting from Salt Lake to Thanksgiving Point. With the highway to Alpine and the roads to Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain closed, thousands of people really are stuck, waiting for the roads to reopen.

Snowplows are out, but the problem is cars are stuck in the road, so it's nearly impossible to clear the roads.

Over 200 students are stranded in three schools and one bus in Utah County. There are 165 students still holed up at Ridgeline Elementary School in Highland. Several of their parents have been able to get to the school with food and blankets, and they're ready to spend the night if they have to. For the kids, it's a big adventure.

Thirty to 40 students are stuck on a bus about a half mile from Ridgeline. Again, some parents have made it to the bus and are helping the kids get through this ordeal.

One child is still at Harvest Elementary in Saratoga Springs. There are a lot of teachers and administrators there ready to spend the night. (THAT WOULD BE ME!!!!).

Also, 20 students are stuck at Lehi's Lakeview Academy.

Renaissance Academy in Lehi Utah will start later than usual, at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Sandra Yi reporting

Ok, it was suppose to be a snow storm that came in.....not a crazy blizzard!!!

A few weeks ago we had a "white out" at our school that required us to retain all our students until a parent could physically picked them up (boy did that tick a lot of parents off!). I thought that was a major ordeal until today. I was "suppose" to leave at 3:30 (a 1/2 hour before our contract time) to make it to my ESL class. At about 3:25 the VP of the school makes an announcement that all "walking" kids were not allowed to leave the school without a parent escort. "Great," I thought....at least the buses are still running (unlike the previous storm). I sent my bus kids on there marry little way and was immediately bombarded with other students who were extremely scared and in need of a teacher's help. One of my students returned to my classroom upset saying he couldn't see anything outside. I reassured him that everything was fine and that I would help him find his mom. I walked with him and other students to the front of the school. As soon as I exited the door I was snow blasted in the face (although it truly felt like I was being sand blasted). I could barely see the cars in the parking lot in front of me! By the time I got my student connected with his mom and entered back into the school, my entire back side was soaking wet (the wind was blowing the snow so hard and fast that it literally was moving sideways). I then called my teacher and told her I was not going to make it to class due to the snow storm.
After hanging up my cell phone I ran into a couple of co-workers who were going down to the gym to play volleyball until the "storm pasted." I decided to join. That was a bad mistake....I should have left right then and there. We played for awhile with flickering lights---the power kept shutting off for a few seconds and then flicking back on----until finally the power went completely out. It was at this time the school was called and informed that a few of the buses were pulled over on the side of the road. Apparently there was a 23 car pile up, two power lines that went down and all the streets around our school were being closed. I took a look outside the front doors and couldn't see 10 feet outside. We were having a "whiteout" they said. Then a little while later one of the bus drivers called and said that she was bringing the kids back to the school. The VP grabbed us Volleyball players and other teachers (who were waiting for their spouses to pick them up but were also unable to get to our school)...to help unload the bus and get the kids settled. We then all tried to help call parents---which was pretty useless since the power was out and most home numbers weren't working (I suggest everyone get a "plug in phone" in their house for storms like these). The parents we were able to contact were having a hard time getting to our school due to the traffic caused by the accident and power lines. To by pass time, we played a video on a laptop, played games with the kids and opened up the kitchen to prepare food for them. Finally, at about 9:45 the last parent came to pick up his son! Most of the 20 teachers had left...husbands showed up after being in their cars for more than 2-3 hours....some were 5! The bus driver ended up leaving her bus in our parking lot! The weather was crazy!
The silver lining to the whole situation was all of the people who stopped by the school to see if any help was needed, blankets were brought, food, phone calls, etc....even a bishop showed up to make sure all the kids were taken care of and if we teachers needed anything to tie us over until the roads were opened! I finally decided to venture home at about 1 AM----a police stopped by at that time and informed us that if we had 4 wheel drive we would make it home...but 3 co-workers who had left prior text messaged me and said they made it home ok (there is currently 6 people and a baby sleeping at the school right now). I got home in really good time---only about 40 minutes! The roads were wicked but there was no one on them...which helped a lot. I have to say I am so grateful that I work at Harvest El and not Ridgeline....the police officer said they still had 120 kids stuck at the school! Crazy days!
I hope I am alive tomorrow for Valentines Day---The craziest sugar day of the year---yes worst than Halloween. They have declared that school will not start until 11 tomorrow and to watch the news to see if it will be a snow day! I hope it isn't a snow day...that would take a day off our spring break!
Well, this is probably not coherent but I wanted to write it down before I went to sleep! I will not complain about the snow since we need the moister so badly....I will pray for a slow melt though ;-) the last thing we need is major flooding here.
Why do I have a feeling my condo will not be completed by May 15th?