Multiple roadways across Wyoming were closed due to winter weather and resulting wrecks Tuesday, according to updates from the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
On Tuesday morning, Interstate 80 was closed from Cheyenne to Rawlins due to winter conditions. Travel was not advised on the rest of the highway from Rawlins to Evanston due to high winds, drifting snow, limited visiblity and slick conditions. Conditions were particularly bad west of Rock Springs, where the Transportation Department reported an extreme blowover risk.
In addition, crashes blocked westbound lanes of Interstate 80 from Evanston to Lyman, eastbound lanes near Green River and westbound lanes between Wamsutter and Rock Springs.
Other highways closed by the storm included:
- U.S. Highway 30 from Medicine Bow to Walcott Junction,
- U.S. Highway 16 west of Buffalo;
- U.S. Highway 287 between Rawlins and Bairoil;
- U.S. Highway 189 from Evanston north to Kemmerer;
- U.S. Highway 191 from Green River south to the Utah state line;
- Wyoming Highway 220 from Bairoil to Casper;
- Wyoming Highway 28 south of Lander, and
- U.S. Highway 20/26 from Casper to Shoshoni.
Every corner of the state was affected by the early snow on Tuesday, although the impact varied from county to county or even town to town.
Forecasts called for up to 17 inches of snow to all in the Wind River area, 13 inches of snow in the Big Horns and a foot of snow in the Snowy Range.
This year, winter isn’t slated to officially begin until Dec. 21. Fall technically begins on Sept. 22.
