The western portion of the state will probably have a white Christmas to some extent this year, Wyoming weatherman Don Day told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
“First we have to define what a ‘white Christmas’ means,” Day said. “Does it mean there will be snow on the ground on Christmas day or does it mean it will be snowing on Christmas?”
For some parts of Wyoming, the answer will likely be both. From Wednesday night through Saturday morning, the area from Evanston to Rawlins will likely receive 2 to 6 inches of snow and the Jackson area will get anywhere from 9 to 13 inches.
“It’s going to snow for many days in a row in Jackson,” Day said. “But they’re kind of used to that, up in the mountains.”
The Interstate 80 corridor of southwestern Wyoming is probably the best area to see falling snow this Christmas Eve and day, Day said.
The rest of the state will probably not have the stereotypical white Christmas, seeing little or no snow on Christmas Eve or day this year. Day said there is a 50-50 chance the northeast portion of the state, such as Sheridan and Gillette, will see measurable snow. The chances are the same for the Douglas and Casper areas, Day said.
Laramie will likely see some snow this weekend, and the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the Snowy and Sierra Madre regions. The expected snowfall in the area could be anywhere from 5 to 8 inches.
Cheyenne, on the other hand, probably won’t have any snow on Christmas. Day noted that this isn’t uncommon, as a study he conducted on snowfall in Cheyenne revealed there was only about a 24% chance it would snow on Christmas in any given year.
“The statistical opportunity for it to snow on Halloween in Cheyenne is actually higher than it snowing on Christmas,” he said.
For anyone who is hoping for a white Christmas in any part of Wyoming, Day joked that he was trying his best to make it happen.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a white Christmas because I’m a purist,” he said. “I’m putting in those extra hours to make sure it snows on Christmas, but stays off the roads.”
