A strong Pacific cold front moved across northern Wyoming and pushed south across southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle. The cold front produced cold temperatures, widespread accumulations of snow, and very cold wind chills.
Every event with a place to put it; 25 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS CYS wrote it up.
A strong Pacific cold front moved across northern Wyoming and pushed south across southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska panhandle. The cold front produced cold temperatures, widespread accumulations of snow, and very cold wind chills.
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 Nov 1, 2:54 AM MST, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
354 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
FORECAST TABLE WAS SET NICELY BY PREVIOUS SHIFTS FOR THE UPCOMING
WINTER STORM. THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN AND EVEN TIMING FOR THIS EVENT
IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE OF LAST WEEK. THE DEEPENING SHORTWAVE TROUGH
WAS CURRENTLY OVER WESTERN MONTANA AND IDAHO. CLOUD TOPS HAVE BEEN
COOLING OVER WESTERN WYOMING EARLY THIS MORNING IN ADVANCE OF THE
FEATURE. AREA RADARS AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT THE
PRECIPITATION UNDER THE CLOUD AREA EXTENDED FROM NORTHERN UTAH TO
CENTRAL WYOMING AS OF 09Z. MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION BELOW 8000
FEET MSL WAS IN THE FORM OF RAIN AT THAT TIME. COLDER AIR NEAR THE
SURFACE HAS SPREAD OVER THE CWA BEHIND A COLD FRONT OVER AND EAST OF
THE LARAMIE RANGE AS OF 09Z. THREE HOURLY SURFACE PRESSURE RISES
WERE STILL UP TO 3 MB BEHIND THE FRONT AND HAS PRODUCED SEVERAL HOURS
OF WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.
SYNOPTIC LIFT INCREASES OVER THE CWA TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT AS THE
SHORTWAVE TROUGH DEEPENS AND MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. AT THE
SAME TIME...THE BOUNDARY LAYER COLD AIR BECOMES DEEPER OVER THE CWA
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND THE RIGHT ENTRANCE
REGION OF THE 300 MB JET WILL BE OVER THE NORTH AND WEST PARTS OF THE
CWA TODAY AND THEN SHIFT INTO THE SOUTH PART OF THE CWA TONIGHT. AS
WITH THE LAST SNOW EVENT...THERE WILL BE 3 TO 6 HOUR PERIOD OF
SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. THE TEMPERATURES ALSO COOL
AT 700 MB THROUGH TONIGHT AND BECOME TOO COLD FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL
RATES LATER TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS
MOVES EAST OF THE CWA WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES
OVER THE CWA. THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF LATER TONIGHT BEFORE ENDING
IN MOST AREAS BY LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS EVENT SHOULD HAVE
STRONGER WINDS THAN THE ONE OF LAST WEEK AND SLIGHTLY DRIER. THAT
SHOULD ALLOW FOR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW OVER MUCH OF THE CWA
TONIGHT.
KEPT THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED HIGHLIGHTS THE SAME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
DELAYING THE START OF THE WARNING AND ADVISORIES IN THE WEST AND
NORTH UNTIL 15Z. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 10
INCHES OVER MUCH OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF WYOMING AND 12 TO 18
INCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS. THE PANHANDLE WILL RECEIVE BETWEEN 4 AND
7 INCHES.
.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...
MODELS SIMILAR THROUGH FRIDAY...THEN DIVERGE. ON SATURDAY...THE
01/00Z GFS IS MORE PROGRESSIVE SHOWING THE NEXT SHORTWAVE MOVING
INTO THE DAKOTAS WHILE THE 01/00Z ECMWF IS SLOWER MOVING THE
SHORTWAVE ACROSS WYOMING AND COLORADO. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE SIMILAR
SUNDAY AND MONDAY SHOWING GENERAL TROFINESS ACROSS THE ROCKIES.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT...SHORTWAVE RIDGE ALOFT MOVES OVER EASTERN WYOMING
WITH THE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT STRENGTHENING WHICH WILL AID AN
INCREASE IN WINDS WITH TEMPERATURES LIKELY STEADY OR SLOWLY RISING
OVERNIGHT.
THURSDAY...STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND SURFACE LEE TROUGHING
WILL PRODUCE A WARMING TREND...THOUGH TEMPERED BY THE LEFTOVER
SNOWPACK AND HIGH ALBEDO.
FRIDAY...ONE FINAL RELATIVELY MILD DAY IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT
PROGRESSIVE SHORTWAVE. WILL SEE RETURN SOUTH WINDS AIDING IN WARMUP.
SATURDAY...STRONG COLD FRONT PLUNGES ACROSS THE COUNTIES EARLY IN
THE DAY AS PROGRESSIVE NEGATIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE TROUGH SWEEPS
ACROSS WYOMING. WITH THE SPEED OF THE SHORTWAVE...IT LOOKS LIKE A
HIGH SNOW CHANCE...LOW QPF EVENT WITH LESS SNOW THAN THE ONE TODAY.
WINDY AND COLD WITH STRONG COLD ADVECTION DURING THE DAY.
SUNDAY...CONTINUED COLD WITH LITTLE RISE IN THICKNESSES AND INCREASE
IN MIDDLE AND HIGH CLOUDS AHEAD OF NEXT SHORTWAVE.
MONDAY...NEXT SHORTWAVE APPROACHES WITH AN INCREASE IN
CLOUDS...THOUGH STILL TOO SOON TO KNOW HOW MUCH PRECIPITATION WILL
ACCOMPANY THE SHORTWAVE.
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAF ISSUANCE...
MVFR AND IFR CEILINGS CONTINUE TO EXPAND EARLY THIS MORNING OVER
SOUTHEAST WYOMING BEHIND THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT. CEILINGS WILL
LOWER OVER THE ENTIRE CWA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH IFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. IN ADDITION...THE
VISIBILITIES IN RAIN AND SNOW WILL ALSO LOWER TO IFR FROM NORTH TO
SOUTH THROUGH 00Z. THE RAIN WILL GRADUALLY CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH OVER THE CWA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON. THE
IFR VISIBILITIES IN SNOW AND EVEN BLOWING SNOW WILL BE WIDESPREAD
TONIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE MOUNTAINS WILL BE OBSCURED
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. NORTHERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL GUST AS
HIGH AS 25 KNOTS THROUGH 14Z. AFTER A BRIEF LULL...NORTHEAST WINDS
WILL INCREASE OVER THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH
TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS DURING THOSE TIMES WILL BE AS HIGH AS 30
KNOTS. VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO THE CWA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING
IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES IN SNOW TO THE CWA LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE ANTICIPATED WITH SNOW EXPECTED TO FALL
OVER THE CWA AREAS TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES
WILL ALSO BE COOL THROUGH WEDNESDAY BEFORE WARMONG SOME THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING ANOTHER PERIOD OF SNOW TO
THE REGION LATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ALONG WITH COOL TEMPERATURES
OVER THE WEEKEND.
&&
.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 AM TODAY TO 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR
WYZ101-WYZ102-WYZ103-WYZ104-WYZ105-WYZ106-WYZ107-WYZ108.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 PM TODAY TO 9 AM WEDNESDAY FOR
WYZ110-WYZ114-WYZ115-WYZ116-WYZ117-WYZ118-WYZ119.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 AM TODAY TO 9 AM WEDNESDAY FOR
WYZ109-WYZ111-WYZ112-WYZ113.
NE...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 AM TODAY TO 6 AM WEDNESDAY FOR
NEZ002-NEZ003-NEZ095-NEZ096.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 3 PM TODAY TO 9 AM WEDNESDAY FOR
NEZ019-NEZ020-NEZ021-NEZ054-NEZ055.
&&
WEILAND/RUBINHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 543 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 NEZ019>021-054-055-WYZ110-114>119-021145- SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SNOWY RANGE-LARAMIE VALLEY- SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 543 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD IN THE AFTERNOON AND CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES EARLY TONIGHT. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF NEW SNOW ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND ANOTHER 5 TO 8 INCHES TONIGHT. ALONG WITH THE SNOW WILL BE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 MPH TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL PRODUCE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND COLD WIND CHILL VALUES. TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS BY LATE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH SNOWPACKED AND SLICK ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITIES. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEAST WYOMING FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. PRIOR TO THE STORM...WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE STORM WILL BRING COLDER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND ACCUMULATING SNOW LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT...HOWEVER SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE NEZ002-003-095-096-WYZ101>103-105>108-021145- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-SHIRLEY BASIN- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- EAST PLATTE COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY- 543 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD IN THE MORNING AND CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. ONE TO THREE INCHES OF NEW SNOW ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND ANOTHER 4 TO 6 INCHES TONIGHT. ALONG WITH THE SNOW WILL BE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 MPH TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL PRODUCE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND COLD WIND CHILL VALUES. TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS BY MID AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH SNOWPACKED AND SLICK ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITIES. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND THE NORTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. PRIOR TO THE STORM...WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE STORM WILL BRING COLDER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND ACCUMULATING SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT...HOWEVER SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE WYZ104-109-111>113-021145- FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY- SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY-SIERRA MADRE RANGE- UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN- 543 AM MDT TUE NOV 1 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD IN THE MORNING AND CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF NEW SNOW ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND ANOTHER 3 TO 5 INCHES TONIGHT. ALONG WITH THE SNOW WILL BE NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 MPH TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL PRODUCE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND COLD WIND CHILL VALUES. TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH SNOWPACKED AND SLICK ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITIES. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEAST WYOMING FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. PRIOR TO THE STORM...WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE STORM WILL BRING COLDER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND ACCUMULATING SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT...HOWEVER SNOWFALL REPORTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A COOP observer reported 10 to 11 inches of snow 34 miles northeast of Rawlins.
A trained spotter 7 miles east of Douglas reported 6 to 8 inches of snow.
Law enforcement reported 10 inches of snow in Lusk.
The Windy Peak SNOTEL indicated 12 inches of snow.
The La Prele SNOTEL indicated 31.2 inches of snow.
A COOP reported 10.4 inches of snow in Shirley Basin.
A COOP observer in Medicine Bow reported 8.5 inches of snow.
A COOP observer 1 mile north of Rawlins reported 11 inches of snow.
A COOP observer 6 inches of snow 1 mile southeast of Douglas.
The public reported 9 inches of snow 5 miles southwest of Douglas.
The Crow Creek SNOTEL indicated 12 inches of snow.
The public reported 6 inches of snow in Sinclair.
Law enforcement reported heavy snow and strong winds in and around Elk Mountain. Portions of Interstate 80 closed.
A COOP observer at the Sybille Research Unit reported 7 inches of snow.
A COOP observer 6 miles northeast of Glendo reported 7 inches of snow.
Law enforcement in Wheatland reported 6 inches of snow.
The Divide Peak SNOTEL indicated 18 inches of snow.
The Sand Lake SNOTEL indicated 12 inches of snow.
A trained spotter reported 6 inches of snow 11 miles southeast of Horse Creek.
Law enforcement reported 10 to 12 inches of snow in Rodgers Canyon.
A trained spotter reported 6.5 inches of snow 2 miles north northeast of Cheyenne.
A NWS employee reported 8.9 inches of snow 2 miles north northwest of Cheyenne.
A NWS employee 10 miles north of Cheyenne reported 7 inches of snow.
WFO Cheyenne reported 9.5 inches of snow.
The public reported 7 inches of snow 4 miles northwest of Burns.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, November 2011
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: 346921, 346922, 346923, 346926, 346927, 346946, 346948, 346949, 346951, 346954, 346956, 346958, 346973, 346952, 346953, 346955, 346941, 346942, 346943, 346971, 346924, 346925, 346928, 346929, 346959.