KDXU Sunrise Stories for February 20, 2024: A Rare Case of Thundersnow Coming to Utah

KDXU Sunrise Stories: Volume 156 

Statewide News – 02/20/24 

Cox Defends Approval of DEI Bill 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox is providing more of his reasoning behind the recent signing of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion restructuring bill for academic institutions in the state. 

In a 5,000-word essay written by Cox that was released on February 16, the governor said the state continues to support student success programs while preventing discrimination. 

The DEI bill was passed with a majority vote that strives to open student success programs to all students regardless of ethnicity and gender, but does restructure current DEI programs at the public universities in Utah. 

More Snow for Northern Utah 

The Wasatch Front is expected to see more snowfall as the week continues with more than two feet of snow anticipated for the higher elevation areas of Northern Utah. 

The National Weather Service reports the storm system is currently making its way across most of the state and will continue until the morning of February 22. 

According to meteorologists, this storm could produce thunder and lightning along with the snowstorm in a rare phenomenon known as thundersnow. 

Southern Utah/St. George News – 02/20/24 

Nevada Forger Back in Southern Utah Jail Following Failed Furlough 

A man from Nevada is back in Washington County’s Purgatory after failing to return at the end of a month-long prison furlough with his arrest occurring on February 12. 

The original arrest of 53-year-old Joe Charles Aguilera occurred in November 2023 when he attempted to cash forged checks at a St. George bank. Later investigations showed Aguilera is a registered sex offender and he worked with two other suspects in the forging crime. 

After his first arrest, Aguilera was granted a month-long prison furlough with the man being arrested once again for failing to return at the end of the month time frame. 

Cedar City Youth Group Celebrates New Flag 

Cedar City has a brand-new flag due to the efforts of several young residents as a part of the Cedar City Youth Council. 

The new flag was approved earlier this month and features three flags meant to represent the nickname of Cedar City, “The Festival City.” 

The new flag also features a white star on a blue and yellow background, which is a comparably drastic difference from the old flag which featured a red background with a yellow shield. 

Zion Starts Spring Shuttle Service on March 3 

When is the first day of Spring? While most say March 19, the day of the spring equinox, the staff of Zion National Park are treating March 3 as the first day of Spring 2024 thanks to the start of the shuttle service. 

This isn’t the first time we’ve reported on the shuttle service, but many residents don’t know the purpose of the shuttle service. According to Communication Specialist Ally O’Rullian from Zion National Park, the shuttle service allows for more people to visit during the spring since it doesn’t require visitors to take up a parking space. 

Personal vehicles won’t be allowed on Zion’s Scenic Drive until later in 2024 after the end of the shuttle service. More information can be found on Zion’s official website. 

Winter Weather Advisory for Southern Utah 

The mountains of Southern Utah are expected to see a good amount of snow today due to a storm system making its way across the state.  

A Winter Weather Advisory was issued to portions of Southern Utah with about a foot of snow expected for the mountain range and Brian Head. 18 inches of snow could accumulate in the Tushar Range. 

Please be prepared for Winter driving conditions if you’re traveling from St. George to Cedar City, even more so if you go further North. 

Other 

Fun fact about Stockton Myers, the writer of Sunrise Stories.  

Stockton used to think the best way to defrost a frozen windshield was to boil water and pour it over the ice. This is very ill-advised, and Stockton is lucky he got away with it. If you do this to shorten your scraping time, there is a chance the rapid change in temperature will shatter your windshield. Stockton doesn’t know why he was thinking about this random tactic, but here we are. 

Happy Tuesday!