Heavy Snow, Yellowstone National Park
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Yellowstone National Park forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.228, -110.089 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Wyoming, January 1 to 2, 2004
Three vigorous weather systems slammed into the western mountains and valleys of Wyoming dropping significant snowfall as 2003 came to a close. Holiday travel was significantly impacted as snow began with the first storm on Christmas Night.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
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 RIW wrote it up.
Three vigorous weather systems slammed into the western mountains and valleys of Wyoming dropping significant snowfall as 2003 came to a close. Holiday travel was significantly impacted as snow began with the first storm on Christmas Night. The final storm pushed out of western Wyoming on 1/1/04. Total snowfall accumulation during this eight day stretch approached 4 to 5 feet in the western mountains and northern Star Valley. Two to three feet of new snow was recorded in the rest of the western valleys during this time frame. Several roads were closed across western and central Wyoming including Highway 28 at South Pass and Highway 22 at Teton Pass. The beginning of this event is provided in the December 2003 Storm Data publication.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Absaroka Mountains
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Absaroka Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.760, -108.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Teton & Gros Ventre Mountains
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Teton & Gros Ventre Mountains forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.002, -109.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Jackson Hole
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Jackson Hole forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.100, -110.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Wind River Mountains West
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Wind River Mountains West forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.904, -109.273 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Wind River Mountains East
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Wind River Mountains East forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.904, -109.273 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Star Valley
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Star Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.264, -110.656 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Salt River & Wyoming Ranges
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Salt River & Wyoming Ranges forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.516, -110.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Upper Green River Basin Foothills
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- Upper Green River Basin Foothills forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.767, -109.915 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, South Lincoln County
- When
- January 1, 12:00 AM MST to January 2, 4:00 AM MST
- Where
- South Lincoln County forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.264, -110.656 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Blizzard in Idaho, January 1 to 2, 2004
- Drought in Colorado, January 1 to 31, 2004
- Winter Storm in Montana, January 1 to 2, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 1 to 3, 2004
- Winter Storm in Montana, January 1 to 2, 2004
- Winter Storm in Colorado, January 1 to 4, 2004
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in California, January 1 to 2, 2004
- Winter Storm in Utah, January 1 to 4, 2004
- Drought in Utah, January 1 to 31, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Washington, January 1 to 2, 2004
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 1, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 1, 2004
More
Every storm in Wyoming in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5380764, 5380765, 5380766, 5380767, 5380768, 5380769, 5380770, 5380771, 5380772, 5380773.