White Christmas in Cheyenne? Forecasters say chances are good

Dec. 20—CHEYENNE — Travel this holiday season is expected to be the second-busiest across the country since 2000, according to AAA. With weather uncertainties, it's important to know what to expect before getting behind the wheel or boarding a plane.

The next few days are expected to continue to see above-average temperatures, with fairly sunny skies, in southeast Wyoming, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Angela Mose.

"But that's going to change pretty quickly as we get into the weekend," she said Wednesday.

A storm is expected to blow in from the coast of California, bringing precipitation on Saturday that will likely turn to snow by the afternoon or evening, Mose said. Snow is expected to continue through Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day a bit.

Mose said projections are still uncertain, but she believes there may be snow on the ground on Christmas morning, though it may not meet the technical definition of a "white Christmas." According to the NWS, there must be at least an inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. to qualify.

"It doesn't look like this is going to be a storm of the century or anything like that," Mose said. "It shouldn't be anything too incredibly crazy."

Every NWS office around the one in Cheyenne has snow in the forecast for Christmas Eve leading into Christmas. However, the forecasts remain uncertain, so it is important to be prepared for adverse weather conditions if the storm worsens.

"We definitely keep a close eye on these holiday weekends," said Jordan Young, deputy public affairs officer for WYDOT. "Our plows will be out; they don't take holidays. If the snow has fallen, they're out on the roads."

Snowplows will be on Interstates 80 and 25 during storm conditions.

"One of my biggest tips for people when they're out driving is to give them plenty of room to work. And that way, they are helping everybody get to their destination safely. I think the best Christmas present the public could give the plow drivers this year is not hitting them."

Last winter, there were 25 incidents of vehicles hitting snowplows across the state; there were three over Thanksgiving weekend this year. The texture of the snow that tends to fall in Wyoming is conducive to being blown around both by the wind and by the plows doing their work. That can obstruct the driver's vision and hide the plows, making it difficult to stop in time.

It is possible that WYDOT will close portions of roads and highways across the state this holiday season. Young suggests using the WyoRoad.info website to check for road closures.

"If your GPS sees that the interstate is closed, it might try to take you on an alternative route that involves service roads or county roads, and we strongly suggest double-checking with those counties, or alternative forms of double-checking through those agencies, just to see if those are maintained in the winter," Young said.

Julian Paredes, a spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group, said AAA projects Saturday and Dec. 28 to be the most congested travel days. They anticipate servicing 900,000 vehicles between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3.

"It's going to be really busy, no matter what the weather looks like or where you're going," he said.

Paredes advised travelers to make sure their car maintenance is up to date, citing issues with car batteries and tire pressure as the most common.

The following are items suggested by WYDOT and AAA to have in your car if you are possibly driving through adverse weather conditions:

— Warm clothes

— Cellphone and charger

— Food

— Water

— Paper maps

— Shovel

— Blanket

— Sand or kitty litter to help with traction

— Chains, if you are driving in the mountains

WYDOT recommends not going over the speed limit, leaving extra room between vehicles, remaining in the car if the vehicle is stuck and leaving extra time for travel.

"It's better to get there a little later than you planned than to have something happen where you can't make it there at all," Young said.

Noah Zahn is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government/business reporter. He can be reached at 307-633-3128 or nzahn@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on X @NoahZahnn.