Wyoming, 1996

Blizzard in Wyoming, March 23 to 24, 1996

March 23 to 24, 1996 · NWS CYS · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Snow and strong winds combined to produce blizzard conditions in east central and southeast Wyoming. Visibilities were near zero and wind chill temperatures as low as 45 degrees below zero.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
10

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.

Snow and strong winds combined to produce blizzard conditions in east central and southeast Wyoming. Visibilities were near zero and wind chill temperatures as low as 45 degrees below zero. Three to six inches of snow were common in the area, with drifts as high as seven feet in the Cheyenne area. Many roads were closed during this time.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Wind River Mountains East

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Wind River Mountains East forecast zone
Coordinates
42.904, -109.273 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Converse

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Converse forecast zone
Coordinates
43.841, -104.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Niobrara

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Niobrara forecast zone
Coordinates
44.589, -104.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, North Laramie Range

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
North Laramie Range forecast zone

Blizzard, Laramie Valley

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Laramie Valley forecast zone

Blizzard, Laramie Range

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Laramie Range forecast zone

Blizzard, Platte

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Platte forecast zone

Blizzard, Goshen

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Goshen forecast zone

Blizzard, Cheyenne Foothills

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne Foothills forecast zone

Blizzard, Pine Bluffs

When
March 23, 3:00 PM MST to March 24, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Pine Bluffs forecast zone

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

More

Every storm in Wyoming in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, March 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: 5540103, 5540104, 5540300, 5540301, 5540302, 5540303, 5540304, 5540305, 5540306, 5540307.