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Wyoming Feels Shockwave From Tonga Volcano; Could Affect Weather

Published on in News/weather
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By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

Wyoming over the weekend felt the shockwaves from a volcanic eruption half a world away.

However, only time will tell if the ash and gases released by the eruption 6,200 miles away from Wyoming will affect the state’s climate, according to meteorologist Don Day.

On Saturday, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano near Tonga erupted in what may be the largest volcanic eruption seen in the last 30 years, according to CNN.

This eruption caused tsunamis on Tonga’s largest island and caused shockwaves that would ultimately go around the world. No information has been released yet on deaths due to the volcano, but two deaths in Peru were blamed on resulting tsunamis.

The eruption caused a change in the air pressure could be felt in Jackson and western Wyoming around 5:30 a.m. Saturday. The rest of the state had a pressure change within the next 45 minutes, Day said.

“This eruption is just amazing,” Day said. “If you were on Mars, you could have seen it, that’s how big the eruption was. But as for the shockwave here, unless you knew a volcano went off and were a total geek, looking at the air pressure, you would have never known it happened.”

Day said that he is regularly asked if a volcanic eruption can affect the weather and climate.

His response?

“Absolutely.”

However, he said that certain developments need to occur during an eruption for it to affect the weather, such as volcanic ash and other released gases needing to hit the stratosphere, the second layer of atmosphere. He also said when and where the volcano erupts play a part in the weather effects.

Day pointed to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, which ejected 20 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide and caused global temperatures to drop 0.5 degrees between 1991 and 1993.

Because the weather-related effects of a volcanic eruption cannot be seen immediately, Day said it is hard to predict how the Tonga volcano will affect the weather in Wyoming.

“This is probably not going to change our weather tomorrow or within the next week,” he said. “But I think the best thing to do is monitor the situation.”

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Storm Loosens Grip In Wyoming; Highways Re-open; High Winds Predicted

Published on in weather
16229

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By Wendy Corr, Ellen Fike and Jennifer Kocher, Cowboy State Daily

Travel resumed on most of southeastern Wyoming’s highways on Thursday as a strong winter storm that dropped up to 18 inches of snow on parts of the state loosened its grip.

In the wake of the storm, Wyoming residents braced for brisk winds expected to cause the snow to blow and drift on Friday. However, the winds were also expected to bring warmer temperatures to the state, which shivered through sub-zero readings on Wednesday night.

““Wind is going to be the problem into Friday, but on the upside, it will cause some warmer temperatures,” said Brandon Wills, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “The southeastern part of the state will have gusty winds overnight Thursday and portions of Friday.” 

Snowfall tapered off across the state Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Accumulations from the storm ranged from 4 to 6 inches in Torrington to 5 to 8 inches in Cheyenne and 18 inches in LaGrange.

Eastern Wyoming from Wheatland to Rawlins was under a high wind warning until Friday, with gusts expected to reach 45 to 50 mph.

But Wills said there is no precipitation in the forecast for foreseeable future.

As the state shook off the impact of the storm, Interstate 80 remained closed Thursday between Cheyenne and Rawlins. Travel was possible from Rawlins to the Utah state line, although the segment of highway across western Wyoming was subject to rolling closures.

Interstate 25, which was closed between Cheyenne and Douglas for most of Wednesday, also opened for travel Thursday.

However, commenters on the “Wyoming Road and Weather Conditions Reports Updates” Facebook page continued to urge drivers to exercise caution in the face of some continuing bad conditions.

One commenter warned of a truck stuck in the wrong lane in a bend in the canyon on Wyoming Highway 230 north of Laramie. Others warned of white-out conditions, poor visibility and icy roads. 

In the 24 hours between noon Wednesday and Thursday, the Wyoming Highway Patrol responded to 22 crashes on I80 and I25, two of those involving injuries, according to Sgt. Jeremy Beck. 

In addition, Beck said that troopers also helped 92 stranded motorists, including semi-trailers and vehicles that were stuck or slid off the road.

Meanwhile, with a video showing a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper nearly being hit by an out-of-control car on an interstate highway fresh in memory, Wyoming Department of Transportation officials urged drivers to be careful, especially around highway workers.

Slick roads and careless drivers posed threats for highway workers during the storm, said Cody Beers, a senior public relations specialist with WYDOT.

“We’re seeing slick roads, and in some cases, people driving too fast for conditions,” he said.

He noted that because it’s been a while since there’s been a big snow event in many parts of the state, drivers can be out of practice for winter road conditions.

“I think anytime we haven’t had snow for a while, we have to retrain our drivers for winter conditions,” Beers said. “They need to realize that there are people out on the roadways that are trying to do their jobs, such as snow plow drivers, highway troopers, deputy sheriffs, local police, emergency responders, and it’s our number one priority out there to be safe.”

Beers praised the crews who are doing their best to clear the highways.

“Our guys are on top of it,” he said. “And they’re working some overtime, and we’re doing our job.”

Beers reminded motorists to be extra cautious.

“The whole idea is to go to work, get home safe, go to your destination, get home safe, get to your appointment safe,” Beers said. “So when it’s snowing and blowing and it’s icy and slippery, we need to slow down and get safely to our destination. It’s just common sense.”

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Wyo Trooper Nearly Hit By Vehicle As Storm Closes Highways Across State

Published on in weather
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By Wendy Corr, Ellen Fike and Jennifer Kocher, Cowboy State Daily

An out-of-control vehicle on a Wyoming highway nearly hit a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper on Wednesday as most of the state shivered through cold temperatures and snow left by a winter storm.

The storm forced the closure of sections of both Interstate 80 and 25 and the Wyoming Highway Patrol posted the video on its Facebook page to urge drivers to take care on the sections of the highway that remained open.

“One of our troopers recorded this video while working a crash on the Interstate. Please slow down, use caution, and plan ahead,” the department said.

The storm expected to bring up to 1 foot of snow to some lower elevations of the state stretched from Cody to Cheyenne on Wednesday, bringing with it strong winds that forced the closure of the highways.

The storm came as no surprise for the National Weather Service, whose forecasters had predicted the blast of wintery weather.

“We’re seeing the snowfall amounts that we’ve expected so far,” said Joshua Rowe, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Riverton. “The snow is lingering a bit longer up in Cody, and also in the Wind River Basin, as this cold arctic air has now moved in and hit the Absaroka Mountains and the Wind River Mountains and has gotten stuck up against that.”

Rowe said the snow in the central part of the state had stopped by Wednesday afternoon, for the most part. 

However, before moving on, the storm left about 5 inches of snow in the Cody area.

The storm also left cold temperatures in its wake, with overnight lows expected to fall below zero.

“Since that arctic front has moved south of the Bighorn Basin and the Wind River Basin, it’s kind of stalled out along the Fremont and Sweetwater County line,” Rowe said. “Areas west of that are staying warm for now. They’ll start to drop though, especially overnight.”

The southern portion of the state also got hit with snow throughout Wednesday, with Cheyenne picking up anywhere from 3 to 5 inches by late in the day, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Rob Cox. 

Torrington received around 4 inches of snow, while Wheatland was buried under about 9 inches. 

Cox said another couple of inches would fall before the end of the night Wednesday. 

“People should anticipate the snow to taper off late Wednesday, but it will be back again Thursday morning,” Cox said. 

He said another couple of inches of snow could fall again Thursday, meaning that much of the southern part of the state could be buried in anywhere from 6 inches to 1 foot of snow by noon Thursday. 

The meteorologist added that the wind chill in the Cheyenne area overnight Wednesday would be brutal, dropping to 5 to 20 degrees below zero. 

In his Wednesday forecast, Wyoming meteorologist Don Day said it would be an “arctic surge” over the next 36 hours in Wyoming, making travel dangerous and conditions hazardous for livestock. 

The storm forced the closure of Interstate 80 from Cheyenne to Rawlins and from Granger to Evanston, while Interstate 25 was closed from Cheyenne to Douglas.

As brisk winds continued to push snow across the interstate highways, road users predicted it could be a while before traffic would be moving normally again.

“I think it’s safe to say that all major roads in Wyoming will be closed for the next three days,” one commenter wrote on Wyoming Road and Weather Conditions Reports Updates” Facebook page.

As roads began closing Wednesday morning, reports of accidents along major highways began to surface on Facebook.

Accidents included an incident in which a semi-trailer hit a horse trailer on Interstate 80 east of Rawlins and one in which a Federal Express truck hit the back of a semi near Sinclair.

Others Facebook posts warned of multiple slide offs and stalled semis in the Bridger Valley section of I–80.

Between 1 a.m. Tuesday and 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reported 29 accidents on I80 and four more on 125. Of those, five resulted in injuries, according to WHP Spokesperson Sgt. Jeremy Beck.

Beck said that the storm had initially been centralized in one area and slowly crept across the state with multiple highway and road closures throughout the day. 

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Don Day: Parts of Wyoming Will Have White Christmas; Other Areas Will Be Dusty and Brown

Published on in weather/Don Day
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By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

The western portion of the state will probably have a white Christmas to some extent this year, Wyoming weatherman Don Day told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.

“First we have to define what a ‘white Christmas’ means,” Day said. “Does it mean there will be snow on the ground on Christmas day or does it mean it will be snowing on Christmas?”

For some parts of Wyoming, the answer will likely be both. From Wednesday night through Saturday morning, the area from Evanston to Rawlins will likely receive 2 to 6 inches of snow and the Jackson area will get anywhere from 9 to 13 inches.

“It’s going to snow for many days in a row in Jackson,” Day said. “But they’re kind of used to that, up in the mountains.”

The Interstate 80 corridor of southwestern Wyoming is probably the best area to see falling snow this Christmas Eve and day, Day said.

The rest of the state will probably not have the stereotypical white Christmas, seeing little or no snow on Christmas Eve or day this year. Day said there is a 50-50 chance the northeast portion of the state, such as Sheridan and Gillette, will see measurable snow. The chances are the same for the Douglas and Casper areas, Day said.

Laramie will likely see some snow this weekend, and the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the Snowy and Sierra Madre regions. The expected snowfall in the area could be anywhere from 5 to 8 inches.

Cheyenne, on the other hand, probably won’t have any snow on Christmas. Day noted that this isn’t uncommon, as a study he conducted on snowfall in Cheyenne revealed there was only about a 24% chance it would snow on Christmas in any given year.

“The statistical opportunity for it to snow on Halloween in Cheyenne is actually higher than it snowing on Christmas,” he said.

For anyone who is hoping for a white Christmas in any part of Wyoming, Day joked that he was trying his best to make it happen.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a white Christmas because I’m a purist,” he said. “I’m putting in those extra hours to make sure it snows on Christmas, but stays off the roads.”

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Clark, Wyoming Records Hurricane Category 3 Gust of 118mph; Roads Closed Again

Published on in weather
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By Jimmy Orr, Cowboy State Daily

It was a bit blustery in Wyoming on Saturday and Sunday, but unless you were in Clark in northern Park County, anything you experienced pales in comparison.

The community some 30 miles north of Cody got blasted by a Hurricane Category 3 gust with winds hitting 118 mph.

Everywhere was relatively calm, by comparison.

Casper did record a gust of 76 mph which makes it only a Category 1 hurricane (and barely at that).

Regardless, winds were whipping all over the Cowboy State  on Saturday on Sunday with many other communities recording gusts of over 60 and 70 mph.

As a result, large sections of both Interstates 80 and 25  were closed.

Outside of Evanston, Wyoming semi-trucks were backed up for miles on Sunday morning waiting for the interstate to re-open.

While it looked cold, frozen, and closed on Interstate 80 in far western Wyoming, it looked quite different 400 miles east near the Wyoming-Nebraska border.

There it was brown and wide-open. The only thing similar in both locations was the seemingly ever-present wind which is a constant companion in Wyoming’s winter months.

As usual the areas near Arlington and Cooper Cove on Interstate 80 between Laramie and Rawlins were not conducive to travel.

Photos from the webcams on Sunday morning in those locations showed long lines of trucks playing the same waiting game.

The Facebook page “Wyoming Road and Weather Conditions Reports Updates” was active on Sunday morning with motorists exchanging information about the road conditions in their areas and advising others on strategies to take.

One commenter said stay put if you can.

“Today will be a mess because of the unleashing of everyone who’s been stuck. If you have the means and ability, wait an additional day and stay out of the mass rush,” Clint Christensen said.

Others were trying to help those who were less fortunate. One couple lost their dog after they were involved in an accident.

“Anyone who maybe traveling I80 please keep your eyes open,” Teresa Leroux said. “This is Yogi. He and his owners were in a roll-over on Thursday near Rawlins at mile marker 209. 

“He is still missing and we are praying for the best and hoping someone may see him. If you do please contact me. He maybe wearing a pink coat,” she said.

For the latest road and travel information, visit the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s webpage or download WYDOT’s 511 app.

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Blowing Snow, Low Temps Lead to Multiple Accidents, Closures Along I-80

Published on in News/weather
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By Jennifer Kocher, Cowboy State Daily

Gusty winds, cold temperatures and blowing snow led to multiple accidents and closures across southern Wyoming on Friday as motorists on Interstate 80 waited out the weather as a winter storm gusted through the state’s southwestern corner.

In the 24 hours between noon Thursday and noon Friday, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reported 91 weather-related accidents between Rawlins and the Utah state line alone, according to Sgt. Jeremy Beck, WHP public relations spokesperson.

To his knowledge, Beck said none of the accidents involved any fatalities.

Closures

As of Friday afternoon, all of the eastbound lanes of 1-80 between Evanston and Cheyenne were on rolling closures with an estimated opening time of 19 to 21 hours.

All lanes in both directions of the interstate between Rawlins and Laramie were closed Friday afternoon, with drivers being diverted to hotels, truck stops and businesses in neighboring cities.

The purpose behind implementing rolling closures is to ease the burden of stopped traffic on cities and towns along the 1-80 corridor.

The technique allows stranded drivers to get to the next location for greater access to the parking, fuel, hotel, restaurants and other services when a particular town hits peaks capacity.

The rolling closures were effective Friday, said Jordan Achs, WYDOT senior public affairs specialist, who added feedback so far has been positive.

“We don’t want people to be stuck without a place to stay or be without resources during long- duration closures,” she said.

WYDOT and Wyoming Highway Patrol work together to reach out to the hotels and businesses in these towns and cities to monitor resources. Friday’s storm was pretty localized, Achs noted, with a heavy amount of fallen snow being blown by heavy winds at higher elevations.

Gusts between Laramie and Rawlins were measured at 70 mph.

Over the past day, the southern border has received 5 to 10 inches of snow with some spots getting as much as 13 inches, according to meteorologist Don Day. 

Despite the weather conditions, some drivers had blown past the snow gates closing the interstate and gotten stuck.

Achs didn’t know how many vehicles had done so, but she did say rescuing the vehicles and getting the drivers to safety has diverted resources from other tasks.

She added that ignoring a snow gate comes with a $750 fine.

“It can be frustrating to commercial truck drivers,” she said. “But these closures are for their health and safety.”

Waiting it out

Mark Telkamp wasn’t expecting to go anywhere too soon Friday afternoon. 

The jet fuel truck driver for MG Oil/Heartland was parked at the Love’s Travel Stop in Green River and settling in for a long wait while WYDOT snowplow drivers work on clearing 1-80.

This was his second stop of the day. He had been parked down the road at Rock Springs for the 13 hours waiting out the storm and made it about 45 miles before he was stopped due to interstate closures.

It’s just part of the job, Telkamp said. He’s been trucking in Wyoming for the past 25 years and being shut down by weather is par for the course. 

“I feel resigned,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean it’s fun.”

Mind the plows

A reported 15% shortage of snow plow drivers this year was having no impact on the department’s work on Friday, Achs said.

She added since the storm is limited to the state’s southwestern corner, the department is having no trouble meeting staffing needs with available workers.

In the case of significant snow events, the department will move resources to areas most affected.

That said, snow plows in general have had a rough couple of years, with with more hit by drivers in the past two years that at any other time in the department’s history, Achs said. She didn’t have numbers readily available but she did  encourage drivers to stay back and give snowplows room to work.

“Sometimes plows can create their own whiteouts,” she said. “Please give them space to do their job.”

Up-to-date road closures can be found on WYDOT. 

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Wyoming About To See Winter Weather Across The State

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By Jennifer Kocher and Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

As Don Day said in his Monday morning forecast, “the winter storm is on schedule.”

Much of the state is expected to see snow Tuesday, and Day said that travel along Interstate 25 will likely be impacted due to the wintry weather.

“You do not want to be caught unprepared for this storm,” Day said.

The areas in southeastern Wyoming, such as Cheyenne and Laramie, that are not hit with snow on Tuesday and Wednesday will likely see stronger winds and rain.

Much of the mountainous areas in Wyoming, Colorado and western South Dakota will be severely impacted due to the snow. A winter storm warning is in effect for the Casper, Shirley Basin and Garrett areas, according to the National Weather Service in Cheyenne.

The southwestern portion of the state, including Rock Springs, Kemmerer and Evanston, will see anywhere from one to three inches of snow on Tuesday. Jackson and Afton are predicted to see about one to two inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service in Riverton.

Although the forecast for the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains calls for almost a foot of snow, not all of that will pile up, according to Celia Hensley with the National Weather Service in Riverton.

“It is going to snow through pretty consistently for the next 12 to 24 hours, maybe longer,” Hensley said. “But because the surface temperatures are warm, since it’s been in the 50s 60s over the last couple of weeks, that’s not what you’re going to see on the ground. What you’re going to see on the ground is whatever sticks – which will start to stick probably this evening, once the sun goes down.”

Hensley points out that road conditions from Cody south to Lander will most likely be wet rather than snow-covered, due to higher surface temperatures – but what people need to most watch out for is heavy, snow-laden tree limbs.

“Overnight tonight, when the snow does start to stick, it’s going to start to stick to the trees as well,” she said. “You’re going to have gusty winds potentially come in, and that could lead to some tree damage and localized power outages for the Cody area down towards Thermopolis. Any snow that sticks to the trees is going to be heavy and wet and could bring some limbs down, potentially some full trees down.”

Hensley clarifies that the majority of the snowfall will be west of the Continental Divide – so places like Jackson and Star Valley won’t see much in the way of precipitation.

“In Jackson, we’re only looking at an inch or two falling,” she said. “And, again, it’s not likely going to stick to the roads, or maybe you’ll get an inch of slush on grassy surfaces overnight.”

Over in northeast Wyoming, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for Campbell County, including Wright and Gillette, effective Monday evening that will remain in effect through Wednesday afternoon with snow accumulations of up to 3 to 12 inches and wind gusts up to 40 mph.

There’s a slight that rain and snow will begin around noon Monday with a high near 52 degrees, though the real snow is predicted to begin tonight and continue throughout the day Tuesday with temperatures dipping into the mid-30s. Snow is expected to fall throughout the day Tuesday into Wednesday where there’s a 50% chance of light snow, mostly before noon with temps in the low 30s and wind gusts up to 26 mph. 

Heavier snow is predicted for the Sheridan area with snowfall accumulations between 11 and 15 inches, beginning with rain Monday evening turning into snow by early morning Tuesday as temperatures plunge to the mid-30s. Around 4 inches of snow is expected by morning with another 7 inches possible throughout Tuesday and another 3 inches possible after 10 p.m. The snow is expected to dissipate Wednesday morning as temperatures lift to low 40s and the chance of precipitation falls to 60% with winds between 14 to 16 mph.

Sundance will likely see mostly rain with only slight snow accumulation with rain turning to snow late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning with up to 1 to 3 inches possible by noon with wind gusts up to 26 mph and a low of 22 degrees. 

Hulett, meanwhile, will miss most of the snow with new snow accumulations predicted to be less than an inch between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and instead will likely see rain with highs near 45 degrees with rain and light to no snow expected over the three-day period in Newcastle and Weston County. 

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Happy Fall: Wyoming Sees First Snowfall Of Season

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By Ellen Fike, Cowboy State Daily

It wouldn’t be a September in Wyoming if there wasn’t at least a little bit of snowfall in the state.

The higher elevations of Wyoming, such as the pass between Cheyenne and Laramie, Yellowstone National Park and Togwotee Pass, saw at least some snowfall on Sunday night into Monday morning.

Wyoming meteorologist Don Day said every mountain range in Wyoming received a “decent amount of snow.”

“By decent I mean from 2 to 5 inches,” Day said. “And it got deep into Colorado as well.”

Day said elevations as low as 8,000 feet received snow, noting that Encampment had a dusting.

“So almost down to the plains,” he said.

It also wouldn’t be September in Wyoming without snow on the summit between Laramie and Cheyenne — the highest point on Interstate 80. Snow there measured a little over 2 inches.

Jason Straub, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Riverton, told Cowboy State Daily on Monday that his office received reports of 2 to 3 inches of snow in Yellowstone National Park and around 1.5 inches at the Togwotee Pass.

“This snowfall is definitely not out of the ordinary, but we’re going back to a warming trend,” Straub said.

The forecast for the Riverton area called for temperatures to warm to the 60s to 80s in the next few days.

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Wyoming Might Escape Record-Smashing High Temps In Northwest & Southwest U.S.

Published on in weather
12009

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By Wendy Corr, Cowboy State Daily

Record high temperatures in the northwest and southwest United States have caused a number of deaths and are threatening to overwhelm the power grid in some states like California.

But extreme temperatures like those that have been reported in other parts of the country are unlikely to occur in Wyoming, according to meteorologist Don Day.

“I think, for the next three weeks — this would take us through the end of July — I certainly see some hot days coming,” Day said, “but whether or not we hit a long string of record heat? I don’t see it.”

Last month saw the hottest Junes on record for eight states, including Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah and the heat currently baking those states could challenge previous record high temperatures — although meteorologists say this heat wave isn’t expected to be as extreme as the one that caused more than 100 deaths in the Pacific Northwest the last week of June.

Day explained that a tropical storm over the Pacific Ocean created a high pressure system over the Pacific Northwest — and that system was in just the right position to draw dry, hot air from over the deserts in California and Nevada. 

“It was basically the perfect setup, which brought the record heat,” he said.

“Heat domes” are zones of strong high pressure, beneath which the air is compressed and heats up. In a drought-stricken region, however, a heat wave is even more extreme. With very little moisture in soils, heat energy that would normally cause evaporation, helping to cool the air, instead increases the heat in the air and the ground.

“This establishment of this hot pattern (in the southwest) is being exacerbated because those areas are in severe drought,” Day said. “So, you know, it always gets hot there this time of year, but the drought situation that they’re in, it makes this period of hot weather more impactful for sure.”

But Day clarified that the heat wave that residents in the southwest are experiencing right now is completely normal for this time of year.

“You do not expect 70- to 80-degree temperatures in the desert southwest and the central valleys of California,” he said. “This is a hot time of year, and it’s also a very dry time of year. The high pressure ridge that’s building — yes, it’s going to bring triple digit heat, but in terms of the deviation from normals, it won’t be anything like what happened in the Pacific Northwest. It’s just a summer wave of heat in the desert southwest, where temperatures are gonna be about 10 or 15 degrees above average.”

But Day said that the overall weather patterns that are forming over the intermountain west aren’t unusual.

“If you were to look at climatology, the hottest weeks of the year on average in most of Wyoming is going to be the middle of July to the middle of August,” Day said. “Those four weeks are typically the hottest days of the year. So you’re going to get heat regardless — just like saying you’re going to get really cold in January or February.”

But Day said that the weather patterns that bring afternoon showers and thunderstorms to Wyoming should continue.

“We’re going to start to get some of the subtropical moisture coming in, where you get more afternoon clouds, you get more afternoon showers with thunderstorms,” Day said, explaining that those showers and thunderstorms break up the heat of the day. “That’s not to say we won’t get some record highs, but nothing that is going to be off the charts.”  

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Wyoming Towns Annihilated Record Temperatures on Tuesday

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By Jimmy Orr, Cowboy State Daily

It wasn’t just the breaking of high-temperature records, it was the obliteration of the records. Or annihilation. Or perhaps eradication. Decimation would work too, but that’s actually an incorrect usage of the word.

Whatever word or phrase you want to use to describe the heat wave that all but destroyed old high-temperature records in Wyoming on Tuesday, it happened. Simply put, it was hot.

Sheridan tied the highest temperature ever recorded in that town — on any day — by hitting 107 degrees on Tuesday. As for the date of June 15 itself, the previous record was a lukewarm 98 back in 1931.

You know it’s hot when Big Piney — the town known as the “Icebox of the Nation” — tops the 90 degree mark. It did. The icebox notched back-to-back records on Monday and Tuesday with temperatures of 90 and 91, respectively.

Worland topped a 34-year-old record by hitting 106 degrees on Tuesday, erasing the 102 degree record set back in 1987.

Thermopolis hit 104 degrees, which smashed its old record of 98 recorded in 1959.

Buffalo also hit the 104 mark and in doing so broke the old record by 19 degrees. The previous high was only 85 set only a year ago.

Cheyenne’s record high of 92 was impressive in that the old record was set before Wyoming was even a state. Its previous high was 90 and was recorded in 1888.

As for other records, the following communities also set all-time highs on Tuesday:

Laramie
Rawlins
Douglas
Casper
Cody
Lander
Riverton
Rock Springs

Certainly there were other communities that participated in the obliteration as well but these were the towns the weather services reported.

More records are possible this week. The big cool-down will begin on Friday.

In the meantime, try to stay cool, Wyoming. Summer isn’t here for long, so enjoy the heat!

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