Wyoming, 2024

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Wyoming, February 26 to 27, 2024

February 26 to 27, 2024 · NWS CYS · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

5 feet of new snow in the Snowy Range and nearly 10 inches in the higher elevations of the Sierra Madres late on the 26th through the 27th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
2

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.

Another round of mountain snowfall led to upwards of 1.5 feet of new snow in the Snowy Range and nearly 10 inches in the higher elevations of the Sierra Madres late on the 26th through the 27th.

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 Feb 26, 10:35 PM MST, 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 10:35 PM MST, 25 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 26, 2:31 PM MST, 8 hours 29 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Cheyenne WY
231 PM MST Mon Feb 26 2024

NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ101>119-272145-
Dawes County-Box Butte County-Scotts Bluff County-Banner County-
Morrill County-Kimball County-Cheyenne County-
Northern Sioux County-Southern Sioux County-
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-
231 PM MST Mon Feb 26 2024

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of panhandle
Nebraska...east central Wyoming...south central Wyoming and
southeast Wyoming.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

Widespread strong winds continue today with High Wind Warnings
running through this afternoon.

Fire weather threat continues this afternoon with Red Flag
Warnings in effect for the Nebraska Panhandle.

Colder temperatures and snow tonight into Tuesday with 1-2 feet
of snowfall expected in the Snowy and Sierra Madre Ranges.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

Snow accumulations of Trace to 3 inches possible for lower
elevations Tuesday. Expecting single digit temperatures Tuesday
night.

High wind potential returns Tuesday night through Wednesday.

.Spotter information statement...

Spotter activation will not be needed.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 26, 5:06 PM MST, 5 hours 54 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

1 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Snowy Range

When
February 26, 11:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Snowy Range forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
41.675, -106.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Med Bow SNOTEL (elevation 10510 feet) in the Snowy Range estimated 17.5 inches of snowfall. Nearby SNOTELs received 9 to 12 inches of snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, Sierra Madre Range

When
February 26, 11:00 PM MST to February 27, 6:00 PM MST
Where
Sierra Madre Range forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL
Coordinates
41.695, -106.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blackhall Mountain SNOTEL (elevation 9820 feet) in the Sierra Madre Range estimated 9.6 inches of snowfall.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wyoming in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Wyoming, February 2024

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: 1154430, 1154431.