A sudden blast of winter weather wreaked havoc on Wyoming’s highways on Tuesday, with icy roads, poor visibility and high winds.
Aaron Brown, spokesman for the Wyoming Highway Patrol, confirmed that WHP troopers responded to a multi-vehicle crash near Arlington on Interstate 80.
As of 6 p.m., I-80 westbound was closed from Cheyenne to Rawlins for winter weather conditions and vehicle crashes, with no estimated time to reopen, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
“What I'm hearing right now is that there are 16-20 vehicles involved in multiple crashes in that area,” Brown told Cowboy State Daily. “We do know there are injuries involved, though we can’t confirm how many or their extent, and no fatalities have been reported just yet.”
Multiple crashes and semitrailer rollovers were reported between Cheyenne and Rock Springs.
Most of I-80 was closed much of the day to high-profile vehicles under 20,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW) due to “extreme blow-over risk” and wet, slick pavement.
Uinta County Fire and Ambulance responded to an incident involving at least two semis near Lyman around 9 a.m. The crash was enough to separate the trailer from the truck.
“That crash closed the highway for a bit, but it’s been cleared up,” Brown said.
Meanwhile, the entire stretch of I-90 between Sheridan and the South Dakota state line was closed with similar GVW restrictions, while all 325 miles of I-25 between Cheyenne and Sheridan were closed to high-profile vehicles under 50,000 pounds.
“Folks need to be ready to stop,” Brown said. “Be ready for delays. Slow down and move over as much as possible for emergency crews, don’t go fast, and make sure you're aware of your surroundings.”
Dangerous Combinations
Tuesday was a busy day for WHP troopers. Brown said he was collecting information as it became available from troopers responding to multiple incidents.
“Everyone's tied up right now,” he said. “Troopers in the field have only been able to talk very briefly, and anyone who has been able to answer the phone is not close enough to know the details.
"That basically means there's a lot going on and our troopers are very busy trying to make sure everyone's safe and accounted for.”
Brown didn’t have enough information to say what caused the multiple incidents on I-80, but he believed the primary factors were strong winds and winter weather.
“I wouldn't be surprised if the strong winds were involved, but I cannot confirm that,” he said. “I don't know the weather right there, right now, but the wind’s pretty nasty in that spot, and there may be blowing snow, as well.”
Several snow squalls were reported along the I-80 corridor, starting in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said the entire highway between Evanston and Cheyenne was covered with clouds of blowing snow.
“Anybody who was on the interstate overnight and early this morning drove through 10 minutes of heavy snow, really strong winds, and very bad visibility,” he said. “That was the first salvo of this week’s winter weather.”
Be Safe, Be Smart
Brown noted that the section of I-80 where the multiple crashes occurred has been particularly prone to blow-overs in the past. He encouraged anyone planning to travel along I-80 to avoid the stretch near Arlington.
“If you can find an alternate around route around it, especially westbound, go for it,” he said. “If you’re heading in that direction, be smart and ready to stop.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
