PARK CITY, Utah — It may only be October but one of Parleys Canyons worst traffic accidents happened in October 1984. Between Oct. 17 and 18, 1984 a lake-effect storm dumped 2 feet of snow across the Salt Lake Valley within 48 hours causing havoc on the streets of Salt Lake City and beyond.
Parleys Canyon was treacherous, and a 56-car pileup ensued. This caused major traffic delays. Even in Salt Lake City Utah Highway Patrol cars got stuck and had to be pushed out of snowbanks and through high slushy snow to be able to proceed.
The Deseret News Archives report snow totals of up to 27 inches for this storm. Salt Lake City airport reported 18.4 inches of snow. The University of Utah recorded 24 inches of snow and closed down. 22 of those inches fell within 24 hours. The highest reported snow total in the Salt Lake Valley was in Holladay with 27 inches. Park City reported heavy snow on Oct. 17, 1984…