Wyoming, 1997

Blizzard in Wyoming, April 4 to 6, 1997

April 4 to 6, 1997 · NWS CYS · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

Strong winds combined with snow amounts of generally 8 to 12 inches to create widespread blizzard conditions in southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle. By 845 PM April 4 all roads had been closed in and out of Cheyenne except for Interstate 25.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
$5.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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 combined with snow amounts of generally 8 to 12 inches to create widespread blizzard conditions in southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle. By 845 PM April 4 all roads had been closed in and out of Cheyenne except for Interstate 25. Closed and impassable roads became the norm from the evening of April 4 through April 6 due to blowing and drifting snow. Many automobile accidents occurred as a result of the treacherous conditions, and many power lines were downed due to the weight of snow. Many livestock were killed by the snow and accompanying cold temperatures because the storm occurred in the calving season. The highest snow amount was 12 inches at Albin and Lusk, and sustained winds were generally 40 to 50 MPH through the event.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Southwest Carbon

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Southwest Carbon forecast zone

Blizzard, Converse

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Converse forecast zone
Property damage
$5.0 million
Coordinates
43.841, -104.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Niobrara

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Niobrara forecast zone
Coordinates
44.589, -104.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, North Carbon

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
North Carbon forecast zone

Blizzard, Snowy Range

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Snowy Range forecast zone

Blizzard, North Laramie Range

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
North Laramie Range forecast zone

Blizzard, Laramie Valley

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Laramie Valley forecast zone

Blizzard, Laramie Range

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Laramie Range forecast zone

Blizzard, Platte

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Platte forecast zone

Blizzard, Goshen

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Goshen forecast zone

Blizzard, Cheyenne Foothills

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne Foothills forecast zone

Blizzard, Pine Bluffs

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, April 1997

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: 5592381, 5592484, 5592485, 5592486, 5592487, 5592488, 5592489, 5592490, 5592491, 5592492, 5592493, 5592494.