Even after experiencing the warmest winter season in Wyoming’s recorded history, much of the state was surprised by a spring blizzard Friday.
Ashton Welsh left Rawlins in his semitruck on Friday morning heading to Denver, Colorado, on Interstate 80. As he approached Elk Mountain, he knew he was in for a rough ride.
“As soon as you hit the mountain, it just turned nasty,” he said. “I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me 75% of the time.”
That’s when he started spotting several semitrailers jackknifed in the westbound lanes. He saw at least two that had slid off the highway onto the center median, backing up traffic for miles.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation closed I-80, and Wyoming Highway 34 between Rawlins and Laramie was closed to all high-profile vehicles under 40,000 pounds.
WYDOT also reported road damage on the eastbound lane of I-80, which was partially blocked near Elk Mountain.
Welsh said he wasn’t expecting such intense weather when he set off, and hoped it would clear up before he had to return.
“The one thing that people underestimate about Wyoming is the wind and snow combination,” he said. “Snow is fine. I've grown up in Wyoming and Colorado my whole life, but that wind over Elk Mountain will turn it into blizzard conditions.
"You can't really prepare for it until you're actually there driving on it.”
April Snow Showers
After record-breaking March temperatures in the 80s and 90s, the first week of April took many people by surprise. Friday was especially unexpected, given the number of Wyoming highways that were either partially or completely closed.
“There was over a foot of snow in Sheridan,” said Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day. “The east side of the Bighorns got hit really hard, pretty much blizzard conditions.”
That was reflected in the partial closure of I-90 between Buffalo and Gillette. Rolling closures were enacted for the westbound lane, with an "Extreme Blowover Risk" and high-profile vehicle closure for the eastbound lane.
There had been some moisture and winter weather conditions expected this week, but the volume of the snow, coupled with gusting winds, made Wyoming a treacherous place to travel on Friday.
“Places that don’t see a lot of snow (during the winter), like the Bighorn Basin, are seeing really good snow today,” Day said. “Laramie got over half an inch of water, and Green River is reporting 7/10ths of an inch. That’s really good.”
Meanwhile, Wyoming’s snowpack is expected to receive between 1 and 2 inches of water before the end of the weekend. The western mountains might receive up to 3 inches.
“Jackson Hole Ski Resort got 16 inches of snow last night,” Day said. “This is what you really hope for this time of year. So far, so good.”
Then there is “the perennial problem spot,” as Day always calls it: Elk Mountain.
Perennial Problem Spot
Any experienced Wyoming commercial driver knows to expect the unexpected when reaching Elk Mountain. Friday’s rash of semitruck incidents is a repeat of what happens whenever there’s a serious winter storm in southern Wyoming.
“There’s always snow blowing over the road at Elk Mountain,” Welsh said. “It melts, refreezes, and just adds layers onto layers of ice. You can’t really prepare for it.”
Day said many people underestimate Elk Mountain. It’s a deceptive different spot along the I-80 corridor for a multitude of reasons.
“First of all, it's very high in altitude,” he said. “People don't realize how high it is, but you are well over 8,000 feet for a long stretch.”
Day added that Elk Mountain sits at “the bull’s eye” of the Wyoming wind corridor. It’s at the edge of a large topographical gap that funnels and intensifies gusting winds. When that’s accompanied by snow, even a mild snowstorm can become a blizzard.
“When you’re that high up, it’s colder, and things ice up quick,” Day said. “People think Rawlins is high, and it is pretty high, but you're still gaining over 2,000 feet from Rawlins to Elk Mountain. It doesn’t feel like you’re driving through a mountain pass, but you are.”
Jackknifing
As Welsh was cautiously driving along I-80, he saw the same incident over and over again: jackknifed semitrucks.
Jackknifing occurs when a trailer loses traction and skids, pushing the towing vehicle from behind until it spins around. The end result is a harsh angle that resembles the namesake knife.
“I've never jackknifed my truck, but I’ve slid on the road a number of times,” Welsh said. “If you’re going too fast in conditions like what we had on Friday morning, I can imagine it’d be super easy to jackknife, and if you overcorrect, you’ll slide off the road.”
Welsh didn’t witness any collisions on I-80 but did see several jackknifed trucks. WYDOT also hadn’t reported any collisions or multi-vehicle incidents as of Friday afternoon, which is good news, as many recent incidents have resulted in fatalities.
Welsh made it safely to Denver, but he had to pick up another trailer and run the I-80 gauntlet again. He urged all drivers not to underestimate conditions, especially around Elk Mountain, and not to overestimate their own safety and driving prowess in those conditions.
“I watch a lot of cars on that road get right up onto the bumper of the semitrucks when they're following them,” he said. “A lot of people see a semitruck as a slow vehicle. I get that, but a semitruck can’t stop like you can. And if they have to stop abruptly, you're also going to slide, and it's not going to be a good situation.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
