Blizzard in Wyoming, January 28, 1996

Name: Blizzard in Wyoming, January 28, 1996
Start: 1996-01-28T10:00
End: 1996-01-28T17:00
Location: Wyoming

January 28, 1996 · NWS CYS · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Strong winds produced widespread blowing and drifting snow. Some roads in the area were closed due to the poor conditions.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CYS wrote it up.

Strong winds produced widespread blowing and drifting snow. Some roads in the area were closed due to the poor conditions. Some damage occurred in Rawlins due to 70 MPH gusts. Some highway signs in the south central along with highway fencing in the area were blown down. The winds caused power outages in Rawlins and Sinclair.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Wind River Mountains West

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Wind River Mountains West forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.904, -109.273 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lander Foothills

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Lander Foothills forecast zone
Coordinates: 43.041, -108.630 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Casper Mountain

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Casper Mountain forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.962, -106.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Star Valley

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Star Valley forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.264, -110.656 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Salt River & Wyoming Ranges

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Salt River & Wyoming Ranges forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.516, -110.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Upper Green River Basin Foothills

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Upper Green River Basin Foothills forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.767, -109.915 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Southwest Carbon

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Southwest Carbon forecast zone

Blizzard, North Carbon

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: North Carbon forecast zone

Blizzard, Uinta

When: January 28, 10:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Uinta forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.288, -110.548 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wyoming in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Wyoming, January 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5536792, 5536793, 5536794, 5536795, 5536796, 5536797, 5536798, 5536799, 5536800.