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.
Latest from Andrew Rossi

Severe Geomagnetic Storm Could Make Spectacular Auroras Over Wyoming
The Space Weather Prediction Center on Saturday issued a Severe geomagnetic storm watch for June 1 and 2 when a massive surge of solar energy reaches Earth. That means some fantastic aurora displays could be in store for Wyoming skywatchers.
Andrew RossiMay 31, 2025

Big Steel Western Silhouettes Popping Up Next To Wyoming Highways
As of May 2025, nearly 30 western-themed steel silhouettes have been placed along Wyoming’s highways including Pony Express riders, mountain men, and troupes of pioneers. The group responsible for them say the goal is to place 307 silhouettes.
Andrew RossiMay 31, 2025

Rainy May Welcome, But Not Wet Enough To Bust Southeast Wyoming Drought
Some well-timed rain in May has helped take the edge off extreme dry conditions in southeast Wyoming, but it hasn’t been wet enough to bust the drought. Meteorologist Don Day says the first half of June looks good for more precipitation.
Andrew RossiMay 31, 2025

Scientists Say Humans Now Are "Pansies" Compared To Prehistoric Yellowstone People
If Yellowstone is dangerous now, it’s a cakewalk compared to the Pleistocene age where humans had to contend with mammoths, mastodons and saber-toothed-tigers. Scientists say people are "pansies" now and it’s a wonder humans survived at all.
Andrew RossiMay 31, 2025

Chefs Don't Recommend Eating Invasive Zebra Mussels
Wyoming Game and Fish recently discovered more than 500,000 invasive zebra mussels on a boat lift at Alcova Reservoir. Why not scrape them off and then have them for dinner? You could, chefs say, but you probably wouldn’t want to.
Andrew RossiMay 31, 2025

Cody Family Finds Snakes — One Pregnant — Nesting In The Walls Of Garage
The wall of a Cody family’s garage had to be pulled off to get to a pair of breeding bull snakes. After first fearing they were rattlesnakes, the family instead had a pest control expert get them when they learned they weren’t dangerous.
Andrew RossiMay 29, 2025

Climbing Everest With Gas, Cheating Or The Future? Wyoming Climbers Split
Climbers are split over a British team’s use of xenon gas to climb Mount Everest in just four days. One Wyoming Everest climber says it’s “pathetic” and “straight-up cheating,” while another says it’s a safe innovation that will keep people healthy.
Andrew RossiMay 28, 2025

Yellowstone’s Explosive Biscuit Basin Won’t Be Open To The Public This Summer
Because of last year’s spectacular explosion and continuing seismic activity at Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin, park officials are keeping the area closed. Online visitors can check in via webcam, however.
Andrew RossiMay 28, 2025

$20M WYDOT Computer Upgrade Is First Major Overhaul In 40 Years
The last time the Wyoming Department of Transportation made a significant upgrade to its Driver Services computer system, “Top Gun” was the No. 1 movie and Wyoming voters elected a Democrat for governor, Mike Sullivan. It’s the most significant overhaul of the system since 1986.
Andrew RossiMay 27, 2025

Why A Cody Rancher Is Turning Old Barbed Wire Into Big, Spikey Steel Tumbleweeds
There are miles upon miles of old, worn-out barbed wire on ranches across Wyoming and the West. Instead of recycling it, a Cody-area rancher is balling it up to create big, spikey steel tumbleweeds and selling them for $100 a pop.
Andrew RossiMay 25, 2025

How To Train The Perfect Trail Horse
Gillette's Mandy Gagliano trains Rocky Mountain horses -- a unique breed can that can deliver a ride "smooth as glass" -- to be top quality trail horses. She takes them through obstacle courses which include bridges, teeter-totters, balance beams, water boxes and pool noodles.
Andrew RossiMay 24, 2025

Exploring Wyoming: How To Navigate Through Yellowstone's Bison Jams
If you get stuck in one of Yellowstone's bison jams, you might be doomed for a long time. That's why wildlife photographer Max Waugh, who has led tours in Yellowstone for 25 years, published a book on ways to navigate the jams -- which include considering yourself a bison.
Andrew RossiMay 24, 2025

Poo-Poo Project Saves Wyoming Owls, Other Birds From Horrible Public Toilet Deaths
The Teton Raptor Center's award-winning Poo-Poo Project is saving owls and other birds from horrible deaths by getting trapped inside public vault toilets. The solution the center developed is now being used in all 50 states.
Andrew RossiMay 24, 2025

Without Staff 24/7 At Cheyenne Weather Office, What If A Tornado Approaches Overnight?
Without meteorologists on staff 24/7 at the Cheyenne National Weather Service Office, what happens if a tornado approaches overnight? That's where offices in Riverton and Denver take over.
Andrew RossiMay 23, 2025

WYDOT Opens Snowy Range, Beartooth Highway Expected To Open Before Weekend
After clearing up to 15 feet of snow in some spots of Wyoming Highway 130, the Snowy Range opened for the season Thursday. The Wyoming Department of Transportation also says the Beartooth Highway and Highway 14A should be open Friday.
Andrew RossiMay 22, 2025

Massive Twister in Colorado Is Reminder That Tornado Season Has Arrived Wyoming
Although Wyoming is more tornado-proof than tornado-prone, we still get twisters in Wyoming. Funnel clouds were spotted in Laramie County on Sunday and four tornadoes touched down in eastern Colorado. Meteorologist Don Day says tornado season is here and it's starting off strong.
Andrew RossiMay 21, 2025

Game And Fish Finds Mother Lode Of 500K Invasive Zebra Mussels On Boat Lift
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department aquatic inspectors scraped more than 500,000 invasive zebra mussels off a boat lift from South Dakota. The mother lode of mussels could have devastated Alcova Reservoir.
Andrew RossiMay 20, 2025

Helicopter Rescues Horse Stranded In The Middle Of The Yellowstone River
A horse named Cowboy stranded in the middle of the Yellowstone River south of Billings, Montana, was flown to safety Friday by the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and its on-call helicopter.
Andrew RossiMay 19, 2025

Drunk Montana Man Trying To Impress Girls Caught Climbing On Jackson Antler Arch
A drunk Montana man was reportedly trying to impress girls by climbing on one of the famous antler arches at the town square in Jackson, Wyoming. He got a $100 ticket, and his dumb deed posted to social media.
Andrew RossiMay 19, 2025

Laramie-Born Breeder’s Swamp Donkey Wins $250,000 Payout As Nastiest Bucking Bull
33L Swamp Donkey, a 2-year-old bull raised by a breeder from Laramie got a $250,000 payout for winning the American Bucking Bull Inc.’s $1 Million Futurity in Fort Worth. It’s the biggest payday yet for the young bucking bull.
Andrew RossiMay 18, 2025

Patton Oswalt Leaves Casper Crowds Laughing, But He Can’t Hold Bladder
Popular comedian Patton Oswalt had crowds of people laughing at The Rialto Theater in Casper on Friday and Saturday. It was his first time performing in Wyoming, and he learned the hard way you need a strong bladder to drive anywhere in the Cowboy State.
Andrew RossiMay 18, 2025

Grand Teton’s Mormon Row To Get Upgrades As Visitors Crowd Picturesque Area
Grand Teton National Park’s growing popularity with tourists means more visitors are taking in Wyoming’s picturesque Mormon Row. The National Park Service is planning upgrades to the area to keep up.
Andrew RossiMay 17, 2025

Son of "Sister Wives" Star Buried Near Wyoming Hometown In Bighorn Basin
The ashes of Garrison Brown, son of polygamist and star of the TLC reality show "Sister Wives" Kody Brown, were buried in a small cemetery in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin next to other members of his family. This was revealed on the May 11 episode of the show, now in its 19th season.
Andrew RossiMay 17, 2025

Winter’s Not Done Yet; More Snow Coming For Wyoming
It may be the middle of May, but winter isn’t done with Wyoming yet. Another wave of wet weather from the Pacific Ocean will reach Wyoming over the weekend, which will mean more snow in the mountains and across other parts of the state.
Andrew RossiMay 16, 2025

Dimwitted California Rapper Stands Next To Boiling Yellowstone Pool For Video
If you’re dead set on committing a federal crime in Yellowstone National Park, you might as well post video of yourself doing the deed to social media. That’s what a California rapper did, coming dangerously close to a boiling thermal pool.
Andrew RossiMay 16, 2025

Grizzly Killed After Tipping Over 800-Pound Dumpsters Near Old Faithful
Yellowstone National Park confirmed an 11-year-old male grizzly was captured and killed Wednesday after repeatedly knocking over bear-resistant dumpsters. Officials say the grizzly had repeatedly sought out human food.
Andrew RossiMay 15, 2025

It’s The Season In Wyoming For Scud Clouds, Which Can Look Like Tornadoes But Aren’t
It’s the season for thunderstorms across Wyoming, which means greater potential for tornadoes. It also means scud clouds, which can look like tornadoes but aren’t. A scud is a piece of a larger cloud that's broken off and drifted toward the ground.
Andrew RossiMay 13, 2025

Cody Fire Department Pulls Out Of Parade Because They Can't Throw Water Balloons
The Cody Volunteer Fire Department is pulling most of its fire trucks from the Cody Stampede Parade because they can't throw water balloons, a longtime tradition. The problem, the parade committee said, is innocent bystanders get caught in the crossfire.
Andrew RossiMay 12, 2025

Herd Of 32 Life-Sized Elephants On Way For Month-Long Stay In Jackson
The National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson will have 32 life-size elephant sculptures for a month starting this week. It’s a stop on The Great Elephant Migration, a public art exhibit promoting conservation and coexistence with wildlife.
Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

Patton Oswalt Doing Two Nights Of Comedy At Casper's Rialto Theater
After realizing he had played in every state except Wyoming and Montana, comedian Patton Oswalt booked a ‘mini-tour’ to cross them off their lists. He appears in Casper on May 16 and 17 and in Bozeman on May 15.
Andrew RossiMay 11, 2025

Gillette Songwriter Co-Wrote Blake Shelton’s No. 1 Smash Country Hit ‘Texas’
Josh Dorr, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Gillette co-wrote "Texas," the No. 1 country hit and lead single from Blake Shelton's latest album. “It’s pretty surreal,” Dorr told Cowboy State Daily.
Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

UW Project Rediscovers A Massive Meat-Eating Dinosaur Under 100-Year-Old Plaster
University of Wyoming researchers used CT scanning to see how much of the fossilized bones in an historic dinosaur were real. It revealed a lot of plaster — and rediscovered a huge Allosaurus.
Andrew RossiMay 10, 2025

Rawlins Residents Fed Up With Gravedigging Ground Squirrels In City Cemetery
Ground squirrels are digging holes daily in the Rawlins Cemetery, including into graves, and local residents are fed up with them. The city is tripling the number of poison traps around the cemetery to try and cut out the critters.
Andrew RossiMay 08, 2025

Wyoming Can Expect Warm, Sunny Weather For Mother’s Day — For A Change
Winter in Wyoming often likes to hang around until after Mother’s Day, says meteorologist Don Day. But for a change, this weekend should be warm, sunny and summer-like with temperatures reaching the high 70s and into the 80s.
Andrew RossiMay 07, 2025

Vandals Break Into South Dakota BLM Area, Drive Heavy Equipment Into Ditch
Vandals broke into a South Dakota public recreation area near the Wyoming border over the weekend and drove several construction vehicles into a ditch. It’s another instance of vandalism on public lands that has Wyoming contractors watching.
Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

Spring Can Begin — Bob The Barrel Reaches The Shore Of Fremont Lake
After spending two months on the ice of Fremont Lake near Pinedale, Bob the Barrel finally reached the shore of Fremont Lake at 6:25 a.m. Sunday. Locals have been watching and waiting on the barrel to break through annually for 85 years.
Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

Huge "Once-In-A-Decade" Fireball Seen Over Wyoming, Other Western States
Hundreds of people reported seeing a huge purple-green fireball streak over several Western states Saturday night. The “once-in-a-decade” event displayed a spectacular spectrum of colors as it burned across the sky.
Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

History Says Yellowstone, Grand Teton Parks Can Expect More Than 8.4M Visitors
The superintendents of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are predicting an “outstanding” summer despite staff cuts to the federal parks system that have worried many outdoor enthusiasts.
Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

Parent Of Powell Teen Finds Stolen Highway Sign In Garage, Turns Son In
Teens stealing road signs isn’t unusual, but catching the culprits and getting the signs back is. Within 20 minutes of posting the theft of a large sign at the Buffalo Bill Dam tunnel, a teen boy from Powell was turned in by a parent.
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025

Wyoming’s Teton County Is World's First DarkSky-Certified County
The town of Jackson and Teton County became official International DarkSky Communities for efforts to reduce light pollution. While many towns have the DarkSky certification, this is the first time for an entire county.
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025

Yellowstone Makes Earthquakes With 53,000-Pound Vibrator Truck To Study Volcano
Yellowstone is using a 53,000-pound vibrator truck to create custom-made earthquakes to study the supervolcano the park sits on. It’s a sophisticated machine that reveals what’s hidden miles underground.
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025

Cassie's Restaurant In Cody For Sale, Along With Its At-Times Seedy Legacy
Cassie's Supper Club in Cody is for sale, and the 92-year-old steakhouse’s sordid history is being used as a selling point. The local landmark has a historic — and at times seedy — Western history, including a stint as a house of prostitution.
Andrew RossiMay 03, 2025

How Do You Practice For Calving Season? With Life-Sized Rubber Cows
One of the most important times for ranchers in Wyoming and across the country is calving season. Every calf counts, so it’s vital as many survive as possible. To do that, some ranchers and kids practice with life-sized rubber cows and calves.
Andrew RossiMay 03, 2025

Cody Woman First In Line For Yellowstone's East Opening For 7th Straight Year
For the seventh straight year, Stacy Boisseau of Cody was the first in line for Friday’s opening of the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. This was her first time solo with her three girls now older and doing their own things.
Andrew RossiMay 02, 2025

Rumbling Alaska Volcano On Watch For Eruption That Could Impact Wyoming
Mount Spurr, a volcano 78 miles from Anchorage, is being monitored for signs of a possible eruption. If it blows, Mount Spurr could impact air quality and economic distress that could reach to Wyoming and much of the world.
Andrew RossiApril 27, 2025

Photographer Visits Hell's Half Acre To Find, Shoot ‘Starship Troopers’ Location
Photographer Steve Dallman has traveled across the nation, visiting and photographing famous film locations. He called his recent adventure to Hell’s Half Acre, the setting for the 1997 film “Starship Troopers,” one of his favorites and most difficult.
Andrew RossiApril 27, 2025

Edward Bohlin, ‘Silver Saddle-Maker Of The Stars,’ Got His Start In Cody
Edward Bohlin, the “silver saddle-maker of the stars,” brought Western sparkle to Hollywood as the most renowned maker of saddles for Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, the Lone Ranger, and other celebrities. He got his start with his own leather shop across from Irma Hotel in Cody.
Andrew RossiApril 27, 2025

People Spend More Than $100,000 On Old ‘Welcome To Wyoming’ Highway Signs
The Wyoming Department of Transportation raised more than $100,000 for auctioning off old “Welcome to Wyoming” highway signs. That includes one for nearly $10,000 sold to a Jackson real estate agent.
Andrew RossiApril 26, 2025