SALT LAKE CITY — The calendar may say winter doesn't officially start until Dec. 21, but no one told Mother Nature as the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding areas received their first considerable snowfalls of the season Tuesday.
A quick-moving cold front sweeping through northern Utah early Tuesday brought rain and snow to the valley and mountain areas.
While Utah's ski resorts started to open as early as last week, the state's valleys and lower elevations had yet to see any substantial snowfall until Tuesday morning.
The Salt Lake City office of the National Weather Service said it received its first measurable snow by the airport, with 0.2 inches on the ground as of 9 a.m.
Heavier snow was found further west in the Tooele Valley as several inches had accumulated in the area.
The fast-moving storm is expected to taper off by Tuesday afternoon across the north and west portions of the state, with eastern Utah drying out by the evening.
