Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 7 to 9, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 7 to 9, 2002
Start: 2002-02-07T16:00
End: 2002-02-09T16:00
Location: Wyoming

February 7 to 9, 2002 · NWS CYS · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

10 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 7, 1:30 PM MST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 1:30 PM MST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
ISSUED BY NWS RIVERTON WY
130 PM MST THU FEB 7 2002

STRONG SHORT WAVE TROF OVER THE PACIFIC NW WITH 300 MB JET ON EAST
ACROSS MT IN THE DAKOTAS. LEE ENHANCED CI OVER FAR SOUTHEAST WY AND
FAR WESTERN NB. WEAK SFC THERMAL TROF RESULTING IN A WARM
AFTERNOON FROM CYS ON EAST...CURRENT TEMPS UPPER 40S TO LOWER 60S.

STRONG SYSTEM OVER THE PACIFIC NW WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS WY ON FRI
AND AMPLIFY INTO A STRONG PLAINS TROF WITH 540 DM LOW OVER EASTERN
NB BY 09/02Z. SFC LOW WILL TRACK FROM CENTRAL MT ESE TO SOUTHERN
SD BY 09/00Z. LOOKS LIKE BEST 7-3H OMEGA AND WARP AROUND MOISTURE
WILL REMAIN ACROSS EASTERN MT AND THE DAKOTAS BETWEEN 09/00Z AND
09/12Z. A QUICK SHOT OF VERTICAL MOTION WITH THE COLD FRONT
WILL SWEEP ACROSS SOUTHEAST WY AND WESTERN NB BETWEEN 09/00Z AND
09/06Z. ALSO...ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE TROF A STRONG SFC AND 700 MB
GRADIENT WILL SET UP FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL GO WITH HIGH
WIND WARNING TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR THE SERN MTNS AND A HIGH WIND
WATCH FRIDAY FOR ZONES WYZ067 AND 069. WITH MESOETA INDICATING 30AGL
WIND OF 50 TO 55 KTS OVER WESTERN NB ZONES FRIDAY NIGHT...POSSIBLY A
SHORT DURATION HIGH WIND EVENT. HOWEVER...WILL NOT ISSUE A 3RD PERIOD
HIGHLIGHT FOR NOW...HOWEVER LATER SHIFTS SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON.
MAINLY SCT POPS LOOK GOOD FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FOR SHSN.
WILL MENTION LOCAL 1 TO 2 INCHES FOR THE NORTHWEST NB ZONES.

IN THE EXTENDED...LOOKS LIKE A WARMUP FOR MON WITH HIGHS IN THE 50S
TO AROUND 60. ANOTHER COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TO MOVE
ACROSS THE AREA ON TUESDAY. A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW WEDNESDAY AS
ANOTHER SHORT WAVE AND INCREASING MOISTURE AFFECTS AREA. DRY WX
FOR THURSDAY.

.CYS...
WY...HIGH WIND WARNING   TONIGHT AND FRI   SERN MTNS
  WYZ063..064..066.
  ...HIGH WIND WATCH   FRI   WYZ067...069
NE...NONE.

MC

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Cheyenne Foothills / C Laramie

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Cheyenne Foothills / C Laramie forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Goshen

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Goshen forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Laramie Range / Se Albany / W Laramie

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Laramie Range / Se Albany / W Laramie forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Laramie Valley / Wc and Sw Albany

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Laramie Valley / Wc and Sw Albany forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Niobrara

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Niobrara forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.589, -104.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong winter storm brought high winds and snow to much of southeast Wyoming, producingblizzard-like conditions in many areas. Snowfall amounts were generally from 1 to 4 inches, but winds gusted over 50 mph in many areas, creating widespread blowing and drifting snow.Gusts as high as 74 mph were recorded at Warren AFB on the west side of Cheyenne, WY, with gusts to 73 mph near Arlington, WY. Interstate 80 was closed from Rawlins to the Nebraskaborder along with other roads over eastern Wyoming. Scattered power outages occurred in Cheyenne, WY.

Winter Storm, North Carbon

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: North Carbon forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, North Laramie Range / X S Converse / N Albany / X Se Natrona

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: North Laramie Range / X S Converse / N Albany / X Se Natrona forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Pine Bluffs / E Laramie

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Pine Bluffs / E Laramie forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Platte

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Platte forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Snowy Range / Se Carbon / X Sw Albany

When: February 7, 4:00 PM MST to February 9, 4:00 PM MST
Where: Snowy Range / Se Carbon / X Sw Albany forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wyoming in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Wyoming, February 2002

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: 5283433, 5283434, 5283435, 5283436, 5283514, 5283515, 5283516, 5283517, 5283518, 5283519.