The National Weather Service office in Cheyenne has issued a warning that the upcoming snow storm will likely impact travel in several areas of Wyoming. Particularly though, Interstate 80 in southeastern Wyoming could get hit pretty hard with rain turning to snow Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Fremont County will areas of heavy snowfall over the next few hours as well. A list of local projected totals can be found here.
Here’s the full message from the National Weather Service Cheyenne:
4AM/September 7th: OH SNOW!!! Mother Nature has a weird sense of humor to start early September! Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for portions of Southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle beginning overnight tonight through Wednesday morning.
The cold front will pass through our northern forecast counties late this afternoon and make its way south toward the Colorado state border between 6-8pm MDT. Temperatures behind this cold front will DROP rapidly! Rain will quickly change over to snow behind the strong cold front. The first onset of snow showers will melt-limiting the initial window of accumulation. BUT, in the areas that receive the moderate to heavy snowfall rates, the snow will accumulate rapidly. Elevations of 4000 feet or higher are most likely to see all snow, with a rain/snow mix most likely for elevations below 4000 feet.
This is a very strong, dynamic weather system that has the potential to cause major impacts for early September in localized areas, and also potentially set earliest snowfall accumulation records for several local communities. Weather model guidance is trending toward continued cool/cold temperatures with multiple rounds of precipitation through Wednesday. Strong gusty winds of 25-35mph are possible with this wintry weather, with gusts up to 45-50mph along I-80 between Rawlins and Laramie.
Snowfall totals have been adjusted to account for initial snowmelt-meaning the typical color scale legend is less applicable. Please note that snowfall totals will NOT equal snow depth. Areas shaded with higher levels of uncertainty have been noted: Laramie Valley is notorious for a wind shadowing effect that limits snowfall totals, North Platte River Valley due to lower elevation, but may be overcome with colder air and heavier snow showers, and Pine Ridge area near Chadron due to possible upslope terrain enhancement. Very cold temperatures Tuesday night into Wednesday morning are likely, especially in areas with the most snow.
Check road conditions prior to venturing out. Dial 511 or visit wyoroad.info or 511.nebraska.gov for the latest road information. See Less