Winter storm coming to a close, but extreme cold to linger into Tuesday
Jan. 15—CHEYENNE — The winter storm that blanketed Cheyenne with a thick layer of snow this weekend is expected to come to an end soon.
Chris Hammer, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Cheyenne, said no more snowfall is expected, but it will remain extremely cold through Tuesday morning.
"The prolonged winter storm that we've had over the weekend is finally on its way out of here," Hammer said Monday. "The good news is once we get through tomorrow morning, we will begin a warming trend."
Monday's high temperature was expected to be around -6° Fahrenheit, with an overnight low of -20° Monday night. However, wind chill makes it feel closer to -45°.
"At these temperatures, especially with this wind chill, frostbite can set in very quickly on exposed skin," Hammer said. The National Weather Service advises people to stay inside if it isn't necessary to go out. Those going outside should properly dress in layers and make sure there is no exposed skin.
It also advises caution when traveling on the roads.
"The roads in town and outside of town are pretty nasty," Hammer said, "especially with some of the blowing snow we've had." Visit wyoroad.info for the latest updates on advisories and road closures from WYDOT.
Tuesday will be warmer, with a high in the 20s, and it may warm to the 40s by the middle of the week, according to Hammer. However, the winds are expected to pick up throughout the week.
"Even though it'll be significantly warmer, blowing snow will be an issue in Cheyenne, and also surrounding areas, for the next couple of days. Especially in the open country, you could have near blizzard conditions," Hammer said.
He said this kind of weather is typical for this time of year, but the amount of snow that Cheyenne has gotten — around 7.1 inches over the weekend — is slightly unusual for temperatures this cold.
"People may have heard the phrase 'It's too cold to snow,' which is not necessarily true," Hammer said. "However, at these cold temperatures, the crystal structures of the snowflakes can be not very efficient to accumulate, and that's generally the case as you start seeing these colder temperatures."
This past weekend was slightly different because there was a significant amount of overrunning, meaning there is warmer air aloft. Even though the temperature may be -15° at ground level, Hammer said that 1,000 or 2,000 feet higher, it could be above 0°.
"Where the snow is actually forming, it's a lot more efficient to accumulate," he said. "So, we've managed to get several inches out of this, which is kind of unusual for an arctic outbreak type of snowstorm."
Wind chill warnings currently remain in effect until 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
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.
