Wyoming, 2010

Heavy Snow in Wyoming, March 18 to 19, 2010

March 18 to 19, 2010 · NWS CYS · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong Pacific storm system moved through the area. High temperatures before the storm system moved in were in the 40s to low 60s.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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.

A strong Pacific storm system moved through the area. High temperatures before the storm system moved in were in the 40s to low 60s. Due to the warm air, the ground temperatures were also warm. Initially the precipitation began as rain and then quickly transitioned to snow. Despite the warm ground temperatures and prior rainfall, snowfall accumulations were as high as 10.0 to 20.0 inches.

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 Mar 18, 1:55 PM MST, 9 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 18, 1:55 PM MST, 9 hours 5 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 18, 2:23 PM MST, 8 hours 37 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Central Carbon County

When
March 18, 11:00 PM MST to March 19, 2:00 PM MST
Where
Central Carbon County forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
41.695, -106.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sage Creek Basin reported an estimated 14.0 inches of snowfall with SWE of 1.3 inches from 15:00MST 3/18 to 4:00MST 3/19.

Heavy Snow, Snowy Range

When
March 18, 11:00 PM MST to March 19, 12:26 PM MST
Where
Snowy Range forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.675, -106.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A measured report of 20.0 inches of snowfall was reported at 4 NW of Centennial.

Heavy Snow, Shirley Basin

When
March 18, 11:00 PM MST to March 19, 4:01 AM MST
Where
Shirley Basin forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.675, -106.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An estimated 8.0 inches of snowfall was reported at Medicine Bow. Snow was still falling at the time of the report.

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

More

Every storm in Wyoming in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, March 2010

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: 216569, 216573, 216575.