Blizzard in Wyoming, October 24 to 25, 1997

An early season blizzard dumped up to 20 inches of snow in areas of southeastern Wyoming, downing power poles and power lines as well as making many roads impassable. Wet, wind-driven snow damaged trees in addition to unharvested milo, corn and sunflower fields, and many motorists were stranded on impassable roads or when vehicles slid off roads. High school athletic events were postponed, and high school bands and athletic teams were stranded when their buses could continue no further. The following occurrences were documented as occurring on the 24th. Semi-tractor trucks with trailers tipped over after jackknifing on Interstate 80 near Sinclair and at milepost 340; no damage estimates were available. The Wyoming Highway Patrol received 198 accident reports by 1645, compared to the normal of 30 to 50. Interstate 25 was closed from the Colorado border to Wheatland at approximately 1600. Interstate 80 was closed the entire length of Wyoming, from border to border, by late evening. The following occurrences were documented as occurring on the 25th. Interstate 80 remained closed from the Nebraska border to Rock Springs. A Wyoming Department of Transportation employee received minor injuries when the snow plow he was operating flipped over east of Cheyenne. Postal delivery service from Cheyenne was shut down for the first time in at least 15 years. Two hunters were rescued in the Snowy Range near Arlington after spending the previous night in the Medicine Bow National Forest; they had entered the Snowy Range north of Centennial the morning of 10/24, and became lost after the onset of the blizzard. The Wyoming Highway Patrol received 252 accident reports since 0800 on 10/24, several times the normal figure.