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Towns across northern Utah were buried by more than a foot of snow in some places after a storm that was bigger than forecast snarled traffic and created hazardous travel conditions.

By early Saturday, drivers found themselves battling a layer of snow and slush on city and mountain roads. The snow stopped Saturday afternoon, giving the region a window to shovel out before forecasters expect another winter storm to arrive on Sunday.

Susanna Bowser drove from her home in Park City to Murray Saturday morning to spend the day playing in the snow with family.

"When we got down in Sugarhouse and that area, cars were stuck everywhere," Bowser said. "People were outside pushing people because there's lots of cars down here that aren't even prepared for snow. They don't have snow tires and they don't have four-wheel drive."

The Weather Service reported 18.5 inches of snow in New Harmony, northeast of the Pine Valley Mountains. Herriman and Bountiful received a foot of snow, there were 11 inches in South Jordan, 9 inches in Lehi, 7.5 inches in Salt Lake City, 7 inches in Clinton, and 6 inches in Kanab. Snowfall at the Salt Lake City airport tied a record set on Jan. 21, 2008, with 6.1 inches. Several mountain resorts reported receiving over a foot of snow.

Plows had been out "all night," UDOT spokesman John Gleason said, and more than a hundred plows were on the roads about 10 a.m. working to clear them. Still, some cars struggled to navigate city streets amid slick conditions and heavy snow.

The weather slowed down travelers heading to Park City, but many seemed to carpool and take advantage of the city's free park-and-ride shuttle system, said Linda Jager, the city's municipal community engagement manager. The city also had a text alert system set up for march participants to inform them of traffic concerns and transit information.

The Utah Avalanche Center said the danger for backcountry slides was high for the Abajo Mountains and the Moab areas, considerable for Salt Lake and Provo areas and moderate for Skyline, the Uintas, Ogden and Logan.

mnoble@sltrib.com Twitter: @mnoblenews