Wyoming Ski Areas Can Expect Huge Dump Of Up To 60 Inches Of Snow This Weekend

A massive surge of Pacific moisture will drop up to 60 inches of snow in the western mountains of Wyoming between Friday and Sunday. The rest of Wyoming can expect clouds, wind and a little snow.

AR
Andrew Rossi

January 30, 20255 min read

Skiing through deep snow in the Wyoming high country in this file photo.
Skiing through deep snow in the Wyoming high country in this file photo. (Cavan Images via Alamy)

A wall of winter weather is heading for Wyoming. It’ll start Friday night and drop several feet of snow in the mountains this weekend and continue with more snow, wind and low temperatures into next weekend.

Most of the weekend’s winter weather won’t make it out of the mountains, but Wyomingites will want to stay alert as the incoming “pineapple express” weather pattern moves into the lower elevations. There won’t be any Arctic waves or polar vortexes this week, but enough moisture to make things interesting.

“We're going to have surges of Pacific moisture cutting across the Rockies,” said Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day. “It’s not going to be terribly cold, but there will be a lot of wet, heavy snow with enormous accumulations in the mountains. I would not want to be on South Pass between Friday night and Sunday.”

If you're a skier, the forecast is great news.

Up To 60 Inches

The onslaught of mountain snow will start Friday evening along the western slopes of the Teton, Absaroka and Wind River ranges, Day said, adding that the pattern of incoming mixture of Arctic air and Pacific moisture is known as a “pineapple express.”

“We have a pipeline of moisture coming off the Pacific that’s going to bring a lot of snow to the western mountains,” he said. “That’s always a really productive way to make it snow along and west of the Continental Divide.”

There won’t be continuous snow once the Pacific pipeline hits the western mountains. Instead, there will be frequent periods of heavy, wet snow — and a lot of it.

“We’re expecting accumulations of 50 to 60 inches of snow for the Tetons,” said meteorologist Jason Straub with the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Riverton. “Snowfall will be more limited in the lower elevations, but we’re still anticipating 20 inches for Jackson and 12-18 inches in Star Valley.”

Unlike the light, dry snow falling over much of Wyoming in January, this weekend’s Pacific moisture will manifest as wet and heavy. The NWS has already issued Winter Storm Watches for most of western Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park from 5 p.m. Friday through 5 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s a potent winter weather system for western Wyoming,” Straub said.

Lesser Further

The impacts of the pineapple express won't extend far beyond the mountains. Despite the intense snow accumulation in the higher elevations, the system won’t have enough strength to make it over the Continental Divide.

“The closer you are to the mountains, the more snow you’ll get,” Day said. “I could see 2-6 inches of snow in areas like Wapiti and Pinedale and a few inches in Sweetwater County.”

Beyond that, meteorologists expect little to no impact from the weekend weather system. Straub said anything that reaches central Wyoming will be minimal.

“Anywhere east of Fremont County, including most of the Bighorn Basin, is going to see little to no snow,” he said. “Once the jet stream causing this winter weather hits and drops off behind the mountains, it creates a drying effect. It’ll be cloudy in eastern Wyoming, but there won’t be a lot of precipitation.”

Meteorologist Coley Goadley with the NWS office in Cheyenne said eastern Wyoming could see a few inches of snow. However, it might be too warm for anything to stick by the time the pineapple express reaches Cheyenne.

“We’re expecting some fairly warm temperatures this weekend,” he said. “By the time we get cool again, there might be some snow, but the system won’t be very strong. Most of the snow will fall on the western side of the Continental Divide, but once it gets over the mountains, there won’t be much moisture left.”

Plow vs Plow 12 13 24
(Wyoming Department of Transportation)

Don’t Get Stuck On South Pass

Because of the range of the winter weather system, there won’t be widespread travel impacts in Wyoming. The biggest corridor of concern will be the mountain passes and the stretch of Interstate 80 between Wamsutter and the Wyoming/Utah state line.

“South Pass is within the range of one to two feet of snow,” Day said. “I would not want to be on South Pass between Friday night and Sunday.”

Any communities on the windward side of the mountains can expect some snow-covered roads. Straub cautioned that anyone driving in southcentral Wyoming will likely be fighting some blustery winds.

“The system is going to bring a lot of wind with it,” he said. “We’re looking at gusty southwest winds, 30-40 mph with some higher gusts, on Saturday and Sunday. That'll be the biggest travel issue on I-80.”

The Swing State

The first week of February could be a busy one for the weather. Day expects seasonally above-average temperatures and subzero snowfall, depending on your location.

“This pattern of surges of Pacific moisture cutting across the Rockies is going to settle in for a week or so,” he said. “An Arctic air mass will slip into northern Wyoming over the weekend, so I could see subzero temperatures in northwest Wyoming and the Bighorn Basin next week.”

Meanwhile, temperatures in southern Wyoming will be well above average next week. Day described it as “a smorgasbord of temperature.”

“You could experience spring and winter in one day if you go from one corner of Wyoming to the other this weekend and early next week,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of disparity in the weather.”

Day believes this is a sign of colder, more unsettled weather in February. Arctic air and Pacific moisture will clash over Wyoming, manifesting as more subzero surges and a higher chance of significant snow.

“Wyoming is at an intersection where dominant Pacific air masses take over, followed by Arctic air masses that take over,” he said. “That’s why we have these big swings, where we can go from minus 20 to 50 degrees. It’s a very busy interaction. We’re a swing state when it comes to weather.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Andrew Rossi

Features Reporter

Andrew Rossi is a features reporter for Cowboy State Daily based in northwest Wyoming. He covers everything from horrible weather and giant pumpkins to dinosaurs, astronomy, and the eccentricities of Yellowstone National Park.