Get Ready, Wyoming – Winter’s Coming Back with a Vengeance

The National Weather Service is calling for the worst weather that winter can throw at western Wyoming – two to four feet of snow, strong winds, and nighttime temperatures at low as 30 below zero.

Despite a flurry of winter weather throughout Wyoming, Cody and other areas of Wyoming have spent January with little snow and mild temperatures. That will change over the next three days, as Mother Nature is keen to remind the region who’s in charge.

The National Weather Service is bracing for a weekend of intense winter weather throughout western Wyoming. A Winter Storm Warning is already in effect from 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30.

• Snow for most of the state; Watches and Warnings are in effect for much of the region.

  • 2 to 4 feet of total accumulation for mountain ranges
  • 10-16” for western valleys
  • 4 to 8” for lower elevations of Johnson and Natrona Counties
  • 3 to 7” elsewhere, with the potential for locally higher amounts

• Very cold Sunday night through early next week

  • Sunday night and Monday night with lows -15 to -30 degrees

• Strong Winds across the South through Friday

  • Gusts 40 to 50 mph with local 60 mph gusts possible.

Some areas won’t have quite as much snow, but every part of the state will experience at least part of the storm.

Courtesy NWS Riverton

For the Bighorn Basin, the heaviest snow will occur all-day Saturday – anywhere between two and six inches in 12 hours.

The following are the anticipated snow, wind, and temperatures for the largest communities in the Bighorn Basin:

Cody

• 2-6 inches of snow
• Winds up to 45 m.p.h.
• Minimum night temperatures between 15 and 9 below zero

Worland

• 2-7 inches of snow
• Winds up to 23 m.p.h.
• Minimum night temperatures as low as 24 below zero

Thermopolis

• 3-6 inches of snow
• Winds up to 24 m.p.h.
• Minimum night temperatures as low as 17 below zero.

Greybull

• 2-6 inches of snow
• Winds up to 26 m.p.h.
• Minimum night temperatures of 22 degrees

Wyoming’s ski resorts will likely be ecstatic about the weekend weather, as they can expect a minimum of six inches of powder – and could see as much as 18 inches.

The N.W.S. Riverton Office has released detailed information about this weekend’s winter storm and its impacts on communities across western Wyoming. A video with more information is available on the N.W.S. Riveton YouTube page.