SALT LAKE CITY — As Utah experiences a taste of spring in the valleys, crews are still working to manage enormous amounts of snow in Little Cottonwood Canyon, with closures expected through the majority of the week.
Last week, mountain areas, especially Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, were hit with snow totaling more than five feet in some areas.
READ: UDOT's avalanche-clearing team has its work cut out
The massive amount of snow has proved challenging for crews as one week later, work to clear the roads and complete avalanche mitigation is ongoing in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Late Sunday night, Alta Ski Area said that it's expected State Route 210, which is the main road that runs through the canyon, will remain closed until Friday.
"This timeframe may change as the week progresses," Alta wrote in a tweet, "But this is based on a warming trend that will continue through Thursday."
The canyon did open for a brief window Sunday night and Monday morning to allow individuals to get out.
Small openings over the past several days have allowed individuals to get out of the canyon and for essential deliveries to travel into the area. However, new visitors have not yet been allowed to taste the fresh powder that fell last week.
On Monday morning, crews opened the road from five to nine a.m. but warned that after that period, the canyon would be closed with no estimated time of reopening for travel in either direction.
The Utah Department of Transportation reports that the closures are due to "unprecedented and unpredictable spring avalanche hazard conditions."
Avalanches could be so large that if they should occur, they could affect infrastructure and damage buildings, UDOT said.
Although no damage or injuries were reported, an avalanche near Snowbird on Thursday, just hours after interlodge orders were lifted, prompted a search in the area and caused quite a scare.
Big Cottonwood Canyon opened on Thursday after a day of full closure on Wednesday. The resorts in that canyon have been packed with visitors as recreators rush to squeeze in late-season skiing.
Closures aren't completely done as work continue in that canyon as well. UDOT announced Saturday that State Route 190 will close for several hours mid-day due to avalanche danger. From Sunday through Thursday, SR-190 will close from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between the mouth of the canyon and Cardiff Fork, which is about 11 miles up the canyon and 3 miles west of Solitude.
