All Of Wyoming To Get Blasted By Arctic Blast; Snow, High Winds, Dangerous Wind Chills Expected

Here we go... All of Wyoming will feel the brunt of an impending winter storm, says Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said, with much of the state getting between 6 - 12 inches of snow. High winds and dangerous wind chills are expected as well.

MH
Mark Heinz

December 12, 20222 min read

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Wyomingites across the state should brace for several days of nasty weather, followed by extreme cold, Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said. 

“The hardest hit is gong to be the eastern side, but nobody goes unscathed,” Day said early Monday. “It’s starting to snow in the west right now, but the storm really gets going tonight.”

Wind-Driven Snow

Falling and blowing snow could last into Wednesday and high winds could last for at least another day, Day said. 

“The wind is really going to be the big problem with this storm system,” he said. 

There could be sustained winds of 40-50 mph, with gust hitting 60 mph in some places.

The winds will probably be the worst in the area “if you draw a line from Sheridan to Caper and back to Rawlins,” Day said. 

Temperatures during the storm are probably going to be in the teens, he said. However, windchills will be well below zero. So, those venturing outside should layer up and seriously consider donning insulated face masks, Day said.  

Bad News For Travelers, Livestock

Travel will be dicey across the state, Day said, mostly because visibility will be terrible.

“Since it’s going to be cold, the snow is going to be tight, dry stuff that blows back and forth across the road,” he said. 

Drifting snow could trap cattle in some places, and the brutal wind could hurt them as well, Day added. 

“This could be extremely stressful on livestock,” he said. “When the wind blows like that, snow can get stuck up in their nostrils.”

Up To A Foot Of Snow Expected

Much of the state could see 6-12 inches of snow, Day said. The heaviest snowfall is expected in the Pine Ridge area, where accumulation could exceed a foot. 

Pine Ridge is the high ground running between Douglas, Lusk and Chadron, Nebraska. 

Bitter Cold To Follow

Once the snowfall and wind abate, Wyomingites still won’t be done with winter nastiness, Day said. 

Expect bitter cold going into next week, he said. 

“There’s a lot of really cold air that’s going to come in behind the system. There could be sub-zero temperatures across the state early next week.”

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Mark Heinz

Outdoors Reporter