A potent Pacific low pressure system produced a prolonged period of moderate to heavy snowfall over the Snowy and Sierra Madre ranges, with lesser amounts over the adjacent valleys and foothills. Strong and gusty west winds up to 55 mph produced near white out conditions with considerable blowing snow and near zero visibilities.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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 potent Pacific low pressure system produced a prolonged period of moderate to heavy snowfall over the Snowy and Sierra Madre ranges, with lesser amounts over the adjacent valleys and foothills. Strong and gusty west winds up to 55 mph produced near white out conditions with considerable blowing snow and near zero visibilities. WYDOT closed Interstate 80 in both directions between Laramie and Rawlins for several hours. Total snow accumulations varied from 3 to 6 inches foothills and valleys, to as much as 32 inches over the Snowy Range.
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 Jan 15, 10:58 PM MST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 1058 PM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 818 PM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 THE BAND OF SNOW WHICH AFFECTED CHEYENNE AND THE SUMMIT EARLIER THIS EVENING HAS SHIFTED OUT OF THE AREA. A FEW LINGERING FLURRIES STILL POSSIBLE THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS BUT THE NEXT MAIN CHANCE FOR MEASURABLE SNOW WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL TOMORROW NIGHT AS SLIGHTLY STRONGER DISTURBANCE MOVES OVER THE AREA. UPDATE ISSUED AT 548 PM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 HERE IS A QUICK UPDATE ON THE SNOW BAND MOVING ACROSS THE LARAMIE TO CHEYENNE AREA. THE SNOW BAND WHICH LIKELY DROPPED A FEW INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE SUMMIT BETWEEN CHEYENNE AND LARAMIE IS DECREASING IN INTENSITY AND SHIFTING SOUTH INTO COLORADO. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO WITH SNOW ENDING SHORTLY THEREAFTER. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL ONLY BE A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH. ROADS HAVE BECOME SLIPPERY DUE TO THE FALLING SNOW AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN SLIPPERY THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL OVER THE SNOWY AND SIERRA MADRE RANGES THROUGH THE EVENING WITH SNOW TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW IS LIKELY OVER THE MOUNTAINS STARTING TOMORROW AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 239 PM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 MODELS CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THE PLACEMENT OF SEVERAL BANDS OF PRECIPITATION IN THE SHORT TERM...IN ADDITION TO THE ARCTIC FRONT SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT AND HOW FAR WEST IT STALLS. FOR THIS AFTERNOON...SNOW IS GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF TO SNOW FLURRIES ACROSS CARBON COUNTY AFTER THE LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW SHOWERS FROM EARLIER THIS MORNING. EXPECT A BRIEF LULL INTO LATE THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE A VORTICITY MAX ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PUSHES SOUTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING THIS EVENING. THERE IS SOME GOOD LLVL INSTABILITY FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR AS WELL AS SOME FRONTOGENESIS ALONG THE LARAMIE RANGE...AND ALONG AND SOUTH OF I80. THE TRICKY PART IS...IF THIS BAND OF SNOW DEVELOPS FURTHER SOUTH INTO COLORADO...THE I80 CORRIDOR MAY RECEIVE NOTHING OUTSIDE OF A FEW FLURRIES. INCREASED POP BETWEEN 40 TO 80 PERCENT...HIGHEST IN THE MOUNTAINS. WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE I80 SUMMIT AS WELL AS LARAMIE AND CHEYENNE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW AND SOME IMPACTS TO ROADS THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE SNOW BANDS MAY BE MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES IN INTENSITY. SATURDAY...ARCTIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY STILL PROJECTED TO MOVE SOUTHWARD AND JAM UP EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE ON SATURDAY. DECENT FRONTAL FORCING ALONG AND EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE WITH AMPLE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY EXPECT TO GET A FAIRLY DECENT COVERAGE OF SNOW SHOWERS IN BANDS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND EAST INTO THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE MOVES THROUGH. OUT WEST FAVORABLE ACTIVE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WITH UPSLOPE WILL KEEP SNOW GOING IN THE MOUNTAINS WELL INTO THE WEEKEND. AN ADDITIONAL 12 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED FOR A 3 DAY WEEKEND TOTAL ABOVE 9500 FT IN THE SIERRA MADRE RANGE WITH 8 TO 12 INCHES ABOVE 9500 FT FOR THE SNOWY RANGE. LOWER 24 HOUR TOTALS IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL KEEP THE EVENT IN THE ADVISORY CATEGORY. WILL NEED TO MONITOR FOR POSSIBLE ADDITION OF A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE SNOWY RANGE AS WELL FOR SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 239 PM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 SNOW SHOWERS TAPER OFF BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH SNOW CONTINUING IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH WEDNESDAY GIVEN FAVORABLE AND ACTIVE MIDLEVEL FLOW. AFTER A COUPLE OF SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...IT APPEARS WE DRY OUT SUFFICIENTLY TO NEGATE POPS THURSDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS A RATHER LARGE AMPLITUDE MID/UPPER RIDGE TRAVERSES THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN ROCKIES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1050 PM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 VFR ACROSS A MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. AS OF 06Z LOW STRATUS WAS OCCURRING AROUND ALLIANCE NEBRASKA BUT THAT WILL LIKELY ERODE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. A FEW LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ARE STILL OCCURRING OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING WHICH WILL PRODUCE VISIBILITY AND CEILING RESTRICTIONS IN THOSE AREAS. WHILE THE SNOW WILL TAPER OFF OVER THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT...ANOTHER DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY MORNING. WIDESPREAD LIGHT SNOW WILL FALL OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND INTO THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE...ESPECIALLY OVER THE WIND PRONE AREAS IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING. FALLING SNOW WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED LATE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO THE WIND PRONE AREAS SUCH AS AROUND VEDAUWOO AND ARLINGTON. && .FIRE WEATHER... NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME DUE TO SNOW COVER IN PLACE AND COLDER AIR MOVING INTO AREAS EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM MST SATURDAY FOR WYZ112. NE...NONE. && UPDATE...SML SHORT TERM...TJT/JG LONG TERM...JG AVIATION...SML FIRE WEATHER...REC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 401 AM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ106>108-118-119-161145- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- EAST PLATTE COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY- EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 401 AM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA...EAST CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WYZ101>103-161145- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE- 401 AM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL FALL MAINLY THIS MORNING. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT BUT ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME SLICK ROADS THIS MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. WYZ104-105-109>117-161145- FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS-SHIRLEY BASIN- 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- 401 AM MST FRI JAN 15 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR OVER THE MOUNTAINS AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW OVER THE SIERRA MADRE RANGE. ELSEWHERE LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED MAINLY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR AT TIMES OVER THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The Divide Peak SNOTEL site (elevation 7850 ft) estimated 21 inches of snow.
The Sage Creek Basin SNOTEL site (elevation 7850 ft) estimated 12 inches of snow.
The Battle Mountain SNOTEL site (elevation 7440 ft) estimated 17 inches of snow.
The Sandstone Ranger Station SNOTEL site (elevation 8150 ft) estimated 18 inches of snow.
The Old Battle SNOTEL site (elevation 10000 ft) estimated 20 inches of snow.
The Webber Springs SNOTEL site (elevation 9250 ft) estimated 17 inches of snow.
The Little Snake River SNOTEL site (elevation 8915 ft) estimated 23 inches of snow.
The Whiskey Park SNOTEL site (elevation 8950 ft) estimated 27 inches of snow.
The Blackhall Mountain SNOTEL site (elevation 9820 ft) estimated 12.5 inches of snow.
The North French Creek SNOTEL site (elevation 10130 ft) estimated 26 inches of snow.
The Sand Lake SNOTEL site (elevation 10050 ft) estimated 15 inches of snow.
The Cinnabar Park SNOTEL site (elevation 9574 ft) estimated 14 inches of snow.
The Medicine Bow SNOTEL site (elevation 10500 ft) estimated 32 inches of snow.
Strong and gusty winds of 45 to 55 mph combined with periods of moderate snowfall created near whiteout conditions. WYDOT webcams indicated that visibilities were frequently reduced to less than a quarter mile in falling and blowing snow. WYDOT closed Interstate 80 in both directions between Laramie and Rawlins for several hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wyoming in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, January 2016
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: 617199, 617200, 617201, 617202, 617203, 617204, 617205, 617206, 617207, 617208, 617209, 617210, 617211, 617213.