Features Reporter

Andrew Rossi

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.

Previously, Rossi was the News Director for Big Horn Basin Media in Cody. He earned several awards from the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters, including multiple awards for Best News Reporter and Best News Talk Show.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Rossi previously worked at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis. He has collaborated with Disney/Pixar, the BBC, The Washington Post, the Wyoming Office of Tourism, and several other national and international media outlets. He is also a cofounder of The Cody Theatre Company in Cody.

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Latest from Andrew Rossi

Skyline Drive above Pinedale, Wyoming. October 5, 2025

First Major Snowfall Drops A Foot On Beartooth Highway & Parts of Wyoming

Wyoming's mountains got a foot of snow over the weekend, enough to close Beartooth Highway and many roads in Yellowstone, in the first big snowfall of the winter ahead. Photographer Dave Bell called it a "winter wonderland."

Andrew RossiOctober 06, 2025

Andy and Amy Corbin of Cheyenne broke their own Wyoming state record over the weekend with a humongous 2,085-pound pumpkin. However, they thought their giant may be in world-record territory, so were “disappointed" their pumpkin had lied to them until it was on the scale.

Cheyenne Man Breaks Wyoming State Record With 2,085-Pound Pumpkin

Cheyenne’s Andy and Amy Corbin broke Wyoming’s state record for the heaviest pumpkin on Saturday with a massive 2,085-pound pumpkin. They were actually disappointed in the result, as they thought the pumpkin was encroaching on world-record territory.

Andrew RossiOctober 06, 2025

Cheyenne native Sydney Kapp on the fourth season of "The Floor." Kapp was one of two Wyomingites selected for the "America Duels" season, focusing on United States trivia and history.

Cheyenne Native Representing Wyoming On Rob Lowe's Trivia Game Show 'The Floor'

Sydney Kapp is one of two Wyomingites on the fourth season of "The Floor," a game show hosted by Rob Lowe where 100 contestants duel each other in a trivia battle. “You duel until there’s only one contestant left,” she told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiOctober 05, 2025

Chad Kurtenbach’s 1,788-pound pumpkin, topped with an 88-pound marrow, is lifted into the air at the 2025 Wyoming Weigh-Off and Pumpkin Drop in Worland. The pumpkin dropped from 200 feet as the climactic end to this year's event.

1,800-Pound Pumpkin Dropped From 200-Foot Crane, Destroys Outhouse

A 1,788-pound pumpkin was dropped on an outhouse from a 200-foot crane on Saturday at the Wyoming State Pumpkin Championship in Worland on Saturday. “You can’t get more redneck than pumpkins, an outhouse, and a 200-foot crane,” Wyoming pumpkin king Jay Richard said.

Andrew RossiOctober 05, 2025

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day is spending nine days in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the ultimate weather authority for the 2025 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. With more than 600 balloons, it's the largest event of its kind in the world.

World’s Largest Hot-Air Balloon Fest Relies On Don Day’s Weather Forecasts

Wyoming meteorologist Don Day's official title for the next nine days is "chief of weather" at the annual balloon festival in Albuquerque, the largest in the world. Although he claims he can't control the weather, he is responsible for briefing the 600+ pilots on weather conditions.

Andrew RossiOctober 04, 2025

The Broadway Bridge spanning the Bighorn River in Thermopolis has been closed since July as it gets a major upgrade. On Thursday, crews from Canyon Concrete did a huge single pour of about 1.2 million pounds of concrete to cover it.

Thermopolis Bridge Over Bighorn River Covered With 1.2M Pounds Of Concrete

The Broadway Bridge spanning the Bighorn River in Thermopolis has been closed since July as it gets a major upgrade. On Thursday, crews did a huge single pour of 300 yards — about 1.2 million pounds — of concrete to cover it.

Andrew RossiOctober 03, 2025

Seven Mile Ranch in Sublette County on October 1, 2025

Enjoy Record High Temps Now, Because Cold And 18 Inches Of Snow Is On The Way

Between Friday and Sunday, Wyoming will transition from sunny skies and near-record high temperatures to rain, clouds, 35-degree temperature drops, and as much as 18 inches of snow in the mountains.

Andrew RossiOctober 02, 2025

Tuesday morning's STEVE as seen from the Goldeneye Reservoir near Casper. STEVEs are different from auroras, but they are only known to occur during auroras, making them rare to see and photograph.

Aurora Joined By Rare, Super-Hot Band Of Colorful Plasma Across Wyoming Sky

A rare phenomenon called STEVE was seen across Wyoming's dark skies around midnight Tuesday. It's a super-hot streak of plasma that manifests during intense auroras, and several Wyoming photographers got good shots of it.

Andrew RossiSeptember 30, 2025

A bighorn sheep ram spotted on the Moss Ranch near Lovell. This ram has a unique genetic mutation where one of its horns seems to have grown much faster than the other, creating a lopsided look that's common in this population.

Bighorn Sheep With Rare, Weird Horn Mutations Keep Showing Up Near Lovell

A number of bighorn sheep rams in the foothills of Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains exhibit a rare genetic mutation where one horn grows faster than the other. That's why people keep seeing weird-horned bighorns near Lovell.

Andrew RossiSeptember 30, 2025

A crowd of about 40 people had stopped on a road in Yellowstone National Park photographing a large grizzly gnawing on a carcass in a recent wildlife photo op. While they were focused on the bear, a large bison crashed the party, sending them scrambling.

Yellowstone Photographers Scramble After Bison 'Comes Out Of Nowhere'

About 40 photographers in Yellowstone abandoned their thousand-dollar cameras and were sent running last week when a bison "came out of nowhere" and ruined their photo op. They had been watching a grizzly eat a carcass when the animal crashed their party.

Andrew RossiSeptember 29, 2025

Yellowstone's First Public Building Is An Unfinished 144-Year-Old Bathhouse

Construction of the Queen's Laundry Bath House started in 1881, but it was never finished. Nevertheless, it's still standing as the oldest building in Yellowstone National Park, and the first structure ever built for public use in a national park.

Andrew RossiSeptember 28, 2025

The 8 millimeter-long eggshell found by the Oertijdmuseum in Lusk. A microscopic analysis of this eggshell concluded that it came from a Late Cretaceous dinosaur, which the research team strongly suspects was a Tyrannosaurus rex.

First-Of-Its Kind Dinosaur Eggshell Find Could Lead To T. Rex Nest Near Lusk

The first dinosaur eggshell ever found from the Lance Formation in Niobrara County has paleontologists excited. They believe it came from a Tyrannosaurus rex nursery and that full eggs are still buried there.

Andrew RossiSeptember 28, 2025

Other Authors

There's no denying that James Sanderson found articulated bones in a layer of prehistoric soil more 50 million years old. However, a closer look reveals that these mysterious foot bones were in a time period where they don't belong.

Star Valley Man Finds Mysterious Foot Bones In Prehistoric Soil Near Kemmerer

There's no denying that James Sanderson found connected bones in a layer of prehistoric soil more 50 million years old. However, a closer look reveals that these mysterious foot bones were in a time period where they don't belong.

Andrew RossiSeptember 28, 2025

Why pay $1.59 million for a used Gulfstream IV when you can potentially acquire a Fairchild C-119L Flying Boxcar transport for $150? Or how about a Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter for $25? Those are two of the 16 vintage aircraft Big Horn County is selling.

Big Horn County Is Selling 16 Vintage Aircraft In Online Auction, And Bids Start At $25

Big Horn County is selling 16 vintage aircraft in an online auction. They're no longer airworthy, but the winning bidders could put a cockpit in their home office or living room. "There’s a lot of nostalgia in these cool old planes," the airport manager said.

Andrew RossiSeptember 27, 2025

Newly Discovered Comet Will Be Visible Over Wyoming Through October

Comet SWAN isn't the biggest or brightest comet that can be seen from Earth, but it could be the last one until Halley's Comet comes back in July 2061. The newly-discovered comet will be visible over Wyoming through October.

Andrew RossiSeptember 25, 2025

Jackson Photographer Gets Once-In-A-Lifetime Shot Of Bull Elk And Grand Tetons

Jackson wildlife photographer Savannah Rose got a once-in-a-lifetime image of a bull elk in front of Grand Teton. She said it was an "incredibly tense" moment of excitement, and adds another uniquely Wyoming image to a portfolio already full of them.

Andrew RossiSeptember 24, 2025

A bull elk that was trapped in a mud hole by a pond was euthanized by Yellowstone rangers to end its hopeless struggle. Then after winning the carcass from competition, a big bear put on an awesome display of power by dragging the adult elk from the mud.

Incredible Display Of Strength: Grizzly Pulls Elk From Yellowstone Mud Hole

In a scene one Yellowstone employee said was unlike anything she's ever seen, grizzlies were fighting each other over an elk stuck in a mud hole. Finally, one bear used its brute strength to pull the massive carcass out.

Andrew RossiSeptember 23, 2025

“Crow Indians Small War Party” by Kevin Red Star was the top selling item at the 44th Buffalo Bill Art Show at $50,000

Top Ten Selling Art From $1.2 Million Buffalo Bill Art Show And Sale

Here are the top ten highest-selling pieces at the 44th Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale, which brought in more than $1.2 million. Kevin Red Star's "Crow Indians Small War Party" was tops at $50,000.

Andrew RossiSeptember 22, 2025

Auctioneer Troy Black drums up bids for a painting by Santiago Michaelek during the 44th Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale's Saturday morning Quick Draw auction. It sold for $17,000.

Cody's Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale Brings In Another $1 Million Plus

Between two live auctions, two silent auctions, and lots of other contemporary Western art purchases, the 44th Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale brought in over $1.214 million last week.

Andrew RossiSeptember 22, 2025

One of Yellowstone National Park's wetsalts tiger beetles. Entomologists believe these highly-adapted beetles are widespread in Yellowstone, but they're only found in the vicinity of the park's thermal basins and nowhere else, making them a "truly remarkable" population for research.

How Studying Yellowstone Beetles Inspired To A First-of-Its-Kind Patent

A team of entomologists went into Yellowstone National Park to understand how a tiny beetle could thrive in an incredibly hostile environment. As a result, they discovered one of its secrets — and patented it.

Andrew RossiSeptember 21, 2025

Three intricate, custom-made, Wyoming-themed wooden benches made by John Applegate and placed at popular spots around Lander have disappeared. They were “a donation” to the community, said the man who made them — and he wants them put back.

Who’s Stealing Lander’s Custom-Made Community Benches?

Three intricate, custom-made, Wyoming-themed wooden benches placed at popular spots around Lander have disappeared. They were a donation to the community, said the man who made them — and he wants them put back.

Andrew RossiSeptember 21, 2025