Madness!

So this blizzard has been crazy today. It was supposed to hit about 6pm, but about 3-4pm it started coming down like nothing and I couldn't even see out the windows of the house. The wind was blowing the snow against the windows so hard and fast that the snow actually stuck to the windows making visibility even worse. I couldn't even see our neighbor's house through the snow coming down. My mom called about 5 or so to say that she was stuck on Hwy 73, about 3 miles away from home. She said the car was rocking from the strong winds (later said to be 69 mph) and she could hardly see the hood of her car, so she and the other cars on the road had stopped. Once in a while they would creep forward a few feet, but basically weren't going anywhere. She had seen a couple of police cars and an ambulance pass. I called her about 30 minutes later, then another 20 minutes after that, and she hadn't moved. About this time, Jared called to say he was in Lehi and wasn't moving. Soon after that, Mom called to say they had closed the road and the cars had been directed back to Saratoga Springs. She went to a restaurant to wait it out and have dinner. A half hour later (and only one mile further up the road) Jared joined Mom at the restaurant. In between these calls from Mom and Jared, I talked to Lori (through texting), my dad, my aunt (twice) and other neighbors. It has been mayhem. The phone has been ringing like crazy. It's now 8:45 and Lori is STILL at work (they fed them all for free in the cafeteria), Mom and Jared are still at the restaurant, and I heard my dad headed to Jill's and ended up at a movie, but that is unconfirmed. The roads are still closed, there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Lori said one of her co-workers left at 4 pm and just barely walked back in the door, telling them he'd only made it one mile down the road (she works on the Alpine Hwy near Traverse Mountain). So she hasn't even tried to go anywhere yet. At this moment, they are showing the freeway exit near her office on the news and it's awful- the cars are just crawling along the road. They said alot of school kids have also been stranded at school b/c the buses couldn't drive through the snow and wind. Sad to think of kids stuck with out their parents in this weather and chaos. What a strange day. It's a good thing my mom carries her emergency bag in her car with change of clothes and other supplies. She might need it tonight! So right now I am very very grateful to be in my warm home, not having to deal with this mess, my kids tucked safely in bed... but I am worried about my family that is not yet home. I wish I knew when they could make it back and that they will be safe. I hope Lori doesn't have to sleep at her office and I hope that Mom, Jared, and my dad will get home too. Lots of prayers going out tonight! I hope everyone else's families are safe too. Gotta go watch the news.

UPDATE: I just talked to Jared (9:15) and he said the road still isn't open and he and mom will most likely head to Jill's house. My dad called a minute later- he just came out of his movie- and said he might go there too. He said the streets of American Fork look completely quiet and serene, no snow on the ground, no wind. Weird that it can be so different here, just 20 minutes away. He also said the northbound freeway was bumper to bumper at a complete standstill. I feel so sorry for those people. Also the school kids still stranded at school (hundreds in Highland) and the two buses they mentioned on the news that are still on the road with children inside (if you figure they left school about 2:30, they may have been on the bus for 7 hours by now. How sad!) They did say that they got food to the kids by using 4 wheelers and will try to evacuate them that way.