Wyoming, 2019

Heavy Snow in Wyoming, March 6 to 7, 2019

March 6 to 7, 2019 · NWS CYS · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

As low level moisture advection in the region coupled with frontogenesis and strong jet flow aloft, snow bands formed across the region producing areas of heavy snow. The mountains of the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre Range measured over a foot of snow above 9000 feet with areas across Goshen and Niobrara Counties with over six inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

As low level moisture advection in the region coupled with frontogenesis and strong jet flow aloft, snow bands formed across the region producing areas of heavy snow. The mountains of the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre Range measured over a foot of snow above 9000 feet with areas across Goshen and Niobrara Counties with over six 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 5, 9:59 PM MST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 9:59 PM MST, 2 hours 1 minute 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

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Snowy Range

When
March 6, 12:00 AM MST to March 7, 2:04 AM MST
Where
Snowy Range forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
41.675, -106.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Medicine Bow sensor at elevation of 10,500 feet measured 1.90 inches of snow-water equivalent. Using a snow-to-liquid ratio of ten to one, estimated snowfall calculated to be 19.0 inches.

Heavy Snow, Sierra Madre Range

When
March 6, 12:00 AM MST to March 7, 2:04 AM MST
Where
Sierra Madre Range forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
41.695, -106.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Old Battle sensor at elevation of 10,000 feet measured a snow water equivalent of 1.60 inches. Using a snow to liquid ratio of ten to one, calculated estimated snowfall of 16.0 inches reported.

Heavy Snow, Goshen County

When
March 6, 7:00 AM MST to March 7, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Goshen County forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.088, -104.353 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observer DDEW4 located ten miles east of Jay Em measured 7.4 inches of snowfall.

Heavy Snow, Niobrara County

When
March 6, 8:00 AM MST to March 7, 4:00 AM MST
Where
Niobrara County forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
43.057, -104.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Observer located one mile south-southeast of Lusk measured 6.5 inches of snow.

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 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, March 2019

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: 808742, 808743, 808744, 808745.