Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 28 to 29, 2004

Name: Winter Storm in Wyoming, February 28 to 29, 2004
Start: 2004-02-28T05:00
End: 2004-02-29T22:00
Location: Wyoming

February 28 to 29, 2004 · NWS CYS · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

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

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 28, 4:50 AM MST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 4:50 AM MST, 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
450 AM MST SAT FEB 28 2004

.SHORT TERM...LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER OVER
THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION.  DIVERGENCE OF OPINION IN SHORT RANGE
MODELS COMPLICATES PICTURE A BIT.  THE ETA IS CONSISTENT WITH
EARLIER RUNS IN DEEPENING A SURFACE LOW OVER COLORADO WHILE THE NEW
GFS HAS SHIFTED EVERYTHING FURTHER NORTH.  THE ETA POSITION IS
FAVORABLE FOR PRECIP OVER MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT...WHILE
THE GFS SOLTION BRINGS DRY SLOT INTO THE PANHANDLE AND THE SOUTHEAST
CORNER OF WY.  THINK THE ETA MODEL IS THE ONE TO FOLLOW IN THE SHORT
TERM. 00Z UPPER AIR MAPS SHOW STRONGER JET STREAM LEVEL OVER THE
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC...WHILE SPEEDS ARE LESS TO THE EAST OF THE
TROF AXIS.  THIS SHOULD KEEP TROF DIGGING AND WOULD SEEM TO FAVOR
SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS IN LINE WITH THE ETA.

WILL BE UPGRADING THE ENTIRE WINTER STORM WATCH TO WINTER STORM
WARNING. WILL TAKE THE THREE ZONES IN SOUTHEAST WY THAT WERE NOT IN
WATCH AND PLACE THEM IN A WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY.  SYSTEM
PULLS FAR ENOUGH EAST ON SUNDAY THAT MOISTURE AND COLDER TEMPS WRAP
INTO THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...SO WINTER STORM WATCH HOISTED
THERE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT.  SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE A BIT ON THE
LIGHT SIDE IF GFS VERIFIES...BUT COMBINATION OF SNOW AND
STRONG/GUSTY WINDS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO WARRANT WATCH.

NEXT BATCH OF SNOW WILL BE MOVING INTO CARBON COUNTY FROM CO THIS
MORNING...THEN SNOW SHOULD BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER SE WY DURING
THE DAY AS CYCLOGENESIS GETS GOING.  PRECIP SHOULD BE SPREADING INTO THE
PANHANDLE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT...BUT THICKNESS VALUES ARE WARM
ENOUGH FOR PRECIP TO START OUT AS RAIN IN THE SRN PANHANDLE.
THICKNESSES COME DOWN ENOUGH ON SUNDAY AS WINDS GO NORTHWEST AND
PULLS COLDER AIR ACROSS ENTIRE FORECAST AREA.

.LONG TERM...SUN AND BEYOND...COORDINATION WITH OTHER OFFICES FOR
HILITES BELOW.  WENT WITH ETA MODEL AS A START FOR SUN AND SUNDAY
NIGHT...AVN SOLUTION JUST A LITTLE TOO OFF BASE.  GOOD SUPPORT FOR
ETA FROM ECMWF AND UKMET.  COULD END UP BEING A NASTY LITTLE STORM
AS SFC LOW SPINS UP OVER KS/NE...WITH STG WINDS CAUSING BLOWING
SNOW.  HAVE POSTED WATCH FOR SE WY/PNHNDL MORE BASED ON THAT THAN
ACTUAL TOTAL SNOW AMNTS.  SYSTEM SHIFTS OUT ON MON...WITH A BRIEF
BREAK MON NGT.  NEXT SYSTEM STARTS AFFECTG REGION BY TUE AFTN WITH A
CHC OF LIGHT SNOW...CONTG INTO TUE NGT AND WED.  ANOTHER BREAK ON
THU BEFORE ANOTHER FTR DROPS SEWD ACRS REGION THU NGT/FRI.

.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...WINTER STORM WRNG S CNTRL THRU E CNTRL LT THIS AFTN THRU SUN
     WYZ059>067.
     WINTER STORM WATCH SE WY TNGT AND SUN WYZ068>070.
NE...WINTER STORM WATCH WRN NEB PNHNDL  SUN AND SUN NGT
     NEZ001>003..019>021..054..055.

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 3:44 PM MST, 13 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
344 PM MST FRI FEB 27 2004

WYZ059>067-281230-
CONVERSE-LARAMIE RANGE-LARAMIE VALLEY-NIOBRARA-NORTH CARBON-
NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-PLATTE-SNOWY RANGE-SOUTHWEST CARBON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DOUGLAS...LARAMIE...LUSK...
RAWLINS AND WHEATLAND
344 PM MST FRI FEB 27 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL AND
SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOULD FALL ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INTO
EAST CENTRAL PARTS OF WYOMING OVERNIGHT BUT AMOUNTS SHOULD GENERALLY
BE AN INCH OR LESS.  1 TO 3 INCHES IS POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL THROUGH EAST
CENTRAL WYOMING SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY NIGHT.
TOTAL SNOWFALL BY SUNRISE SUNDAY COULD BE 4 TO 8 INCHES FROM RAWLINS
EAST TO LARAMIE AND WHEATLAND...WITH 6 TO 10 INCHES FROM DOUGLAS OVER
TO LUSK.  IN THE SOUTHEAST MOUNTAINS 6 TO 12 INCHES OF NEW SNOW COULD
FALL.  SNOW WILL LINGER INTO MOST OF SUNDAY AND SUNDAY
NIGHT...ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD BE A LIGHTER SNOWFALL.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD EXPECT SLICK AND
SNOWY ROADS...WITH TRAVEL BECOMING QUITE HAZARDOUS ESPECIALLY
SATURDAY NIGHT AS BRISK NORTH WINDS KICK IN.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW BY TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...
ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.  DRIER AND MILDER RETURNS BY THE END OF
THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

NEZ003-019>021-054-055-281230-
BANNER-BOX BUTTE-CHEYENNE-KIMBALL-MORRILL-SCOTTS BLUFF-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALLIANCE...KIMBALL...SCOTTSBLUFF AND SIDNEY
344 PM MST FRI FEB 27 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PARTS
OF THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

RAIN SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE AREA SATURDAY...AND THEN CHANGE TO
SNOW SATURDAY NIGHT.  SNOWFALL BY SUNDAY MORNING COULD BE 1 TO 2
INCHES.  BRISK NORTH WINDS WILL ALSO KICK IN SATURDAY NIGHT.  THE
WINDS AND LIGHT SNOW WILL LINGER INTO MUCH OF SUNDAY AND SUNDAY
NIGHT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.

THE REST OF THE WEEK WILL BE MAINLY DRY WITH SOME MILDER WEATHER BY
THE END OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED

NEZ001-002-WYZ068>070-281230-
CHEYENNE FOOTHILLS-DAWES-GOSHEN-PINE BLUFFS-SIOUX-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHADRON...CHEYENNE AND TORRINGTON
344 PM MST FRI FEB 27 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS FOR SOUTHEASTERN WYOMING AND THE NORTHERN
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER FAR SOUTHEAST WYOMING INTO THE
NORTHWEST PART OF THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND
NIGHT.  IT WILL LIKELY BE MIXED WITH RAIN IN THE PANHANDLE DURING THE
DAY.  SNOWFALL BY SUNDAY SUNRISE COULD BE 1 TO 4 INCHES FROM CHEYENNE
NORTHEAST TO TORRINGTON AND CHADRON.  LIGHT SNOW WILL LINGER INTO
MOST OF SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL POSSIBLE.

PEOPLE PLANNING TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD EXPECT SLICK AND
SNOWY ROADS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.  IN ADDITION BRISK NORTH
WINDS WILL KICK IN ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND LINGER INTO SUNDAY.

THERE IS ANOTHER SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW BY TUESDAY INTO
WEDNESDAY...MAINLY IN THE SOUTHEAST WYOMING MOUNTAINS.  DRIER AND
MILDER RETURNS BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Converse / Converse Except X S

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Converse / Converse Except X S forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 43.841, -104.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy snow and gusty winds occurred over much of southeast Wyoming with near-blizzard conditions in some areas. Snowfall amount from 6 to 12 inches were common with local amounts in excess of 12 inches over the Snowy Range. Winds in excess of 35 mph also caused significant blowing and drifting snow resulting in many road closures.

Winter Storm, Goshen

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Goshen forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Laramie Range / Se Albany / W Laramie

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 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 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Laramie Valley / Wc and Sw Albany forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Niobrara

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Niobrara forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 44.589, -104.570 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, North Carbon

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 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 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 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 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Pine Bluffs / E Laramie forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Platte

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Platte forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

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

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Snowy Range / Se Carbon / X Sw Albany forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Southwest Carbon

When: February 28, 5:00 AM MST to February 29, 10:00 PM MST
Where: Southwest Carbon 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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Wyoming, February 2004

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: 5386550, 5386551, 5386552, 5386553, 5386554, 5386555, 5386556, 5386557, 5386558, 5386559, 5386560.