A vigorous early season winter storm brought moderate to heavy snowfall and strong northerly winds to much of east central, south central and southeast Wyoming. Wind gusts to 50 mph created blizzard conditions in some areas where visibilities were reduced to near zero and snow drifts of two to eight feet.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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 vigorous early season winter storm brought moderate to heavy snowfall and strong northerly winds to much of east central, south central and southeast Wyoming. Wind gusts to 50 mph created blizzard conditions in some areas where visibilities were reduced to near zero and snow drifts of two to eight feet. Several roads and highways were closed, including Interstate 25 from north of Cheyenne to Douglas and Interstate 25 from west of Cheyenne to Rawlins. Total snow accumulations ranged from six to 24 inches.
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 Oct 3, 4:33 PM MST, 4 hours 27 minutes earlier.
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</html>HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 355 PM MDT THU OCT 3 2013 WYZ101>119-041115- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS- SHIRLEY BASIN-CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- EAST PLATTE COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY- SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE- LARAMIE VALLEY-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 355 PM MDT THU OCT 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL WYOMING... SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RAIN AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING. THE SNOW LEVEL DURING THAT TIME WILL BE AROUND 8500 FEET WITH UP TO AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION. THE RAIN WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW OVER THE REST OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING TONIGHT. WINTER STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST WYOMING STARTING THIS EVENING. THE SNOW WILL CHANGE FROM RAIN THIS EVENING OVER THE LOWER ELEVATION OF CARBON COUNTY AND LATE TONIGHT NEAR THE NEBRASKA BORDER. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES LATE TONIGHT. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE TONIGHT WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 50 MPH EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW AND POOR TRAVEL CONDITIONS OVER THE AREA LATER TONIGHT. ISOLATED WEAK THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. MANY LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW WHILE THE NORTHERN LARAMIE RANGE WILL RECEIVE 8 TO 15 INCHES. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST AS HIGH AS 50 MPH FRIDAY AND EARLY FRIDAY NIGHT...LEADING TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND POSSIBLE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. WITH THE COLD AIR SETTLING INTO THE AREA...WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS ARE LIKELY. FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN COULD OCCUR WITHIN MINUTES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. REPORTS OF SNOWFALL WILL BE APPRECIATED. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-041115- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- 355 PM MDT THU OCT 3 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE PANHANDLE ALONG WITH ISOLATED WEAK THUNDERSTORMS. THE SHOWERS WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST AS HIGH AS 50 MPH LATE TONIGHT AND WILL PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SNOW WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE...AND A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES NORTH OF A SCOTTSBLUFF TO ALLIANCE LINE...AND 2 TO 5 INCHES TO THE SOUTH. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 50 MPGH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...LEADING TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND POSSIBLE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. WITH THE COLD AIR SETTLING INTO THE AREA...WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES IN THE SINGLE DIGITS AND TEENS ARE LIKELY. FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN COULD OCCUR WITHIN MINUTES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. REPORTS OF SNOWFALL WILL BE APPRECIATED. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE WEILAND
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 winter storm, 4 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Twelve to 20 inches of snow was estimated by SNOTEL sites in the Sierra Madre Range. Winds gusted as high as 45 mph which created very low visibilities and adverse travel through the mountain passes.
Twelve to 18 inches of snow was estimated by SNOTEL sites in the Snowy Range. Wind gusts to 45 mph created very low visibilities and adverse travel conditions for mountain passes.
Eight inches of snow was reported in Baggs.
Nine inches of snow was reported in Saratoga, with eight inches in Riverside.
Nine inches of snow was reported in Rawlins. Six inches of snow was observed 16 miles east of Sinclair. Interstate 80 webcams indicated very poor visibilities in blowing snow from wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
Nine and a half inches of snow was reported in Shirley Basin.
Eighteen inches of snow was reported in Muddy Gap. Fourteen inches of snow was reported eight miles east of Seminoe Dam.
Ten inches of snow was reported at Elk Mountain. Seven inches accumulated in Arlington. Interstate 80 webcams indicated very poor visibilities in blowing snow from wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph.
Blizzard conditions were reported from Douglas to Bill to Glenrock. Winds gusted as high as 50 mph with heavy snow that reduced visibilities to near zero. Interstate 25 was closed from the Platte-Converse county line to near Glenrock. Most county and secondary roads were closed due to snow drifts of four to six feet. Total snow accumulations ranged from 12 to 24 inches.
The county experienced heavy snow with winds gusting as high as 50 mph. Visibilities were frequently near zero. Many county and secondary roads were closed. Total snowfall amounts ranged from 12 to 20 inches. There were widespread snow drifts of four to eight feet.
Blizzard conditions occurred as heavy snow combined with winds gusting as high as 45 mph. Visibilities were frequently near zero. Interstate 25 was closed as well as several county and secondary roads from snow drifts as high as four feet. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches were reported.
Twelve to 16 inches of snow was estimated by SNOTEL sites in the North Laramie Range. Gusty winds to 45 mph created very poor visibilities and adverse travel conditions through mountains passes.
Seven inches of snow was reported eight miles southwest of Wheatland.
Ten inches of snow was reported in Laramie, with 12 inches a mile south of Laramie.
Twelve inches of snow was observed 12 miles east-northeast of Bosler.
Eight inches of snow was measured at Horse Creek.
Six inches of snow was reported at FE Warren Air Force Base. Seven inches of snow was reported seven miles northeast of Cheyenne.
The northern half of the county experienced blizzard conditions with heavy snow and winds gusting to 45 mph. Several county and secondary roads were closed by snow drifts as high as four feet. Total snow accumulations ranged from four inches south to 14 inches north.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, October 2013
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: 479334, 479335, 479337, 479338, 479339, 479340, 479341, 479342, 479352, 479387, 479394, 479336, 479347, 479348, 479349, 479350, 479351, 479395.