Wyoming breaks low temperature records
Dec. 23—CHEYENNE — Southeast Wyoming and other parts of the state broke low temperature records Thursday morning following the arrival of an extreme cold front.
The National Weather Service in Cheyenne reported the record low was -26 degres Fahrenheit early in the morning Thursday, which persisted until past 7 a.m. This doesn't account for windchill, which was -51 with wind gusts of 21 miles per hour.
"This was a record for us," said NWS Cheyenne meteorologist Matt Roberts. "The last time we saw this, we had a previous record of a 64-degree temperature drop. That was in 1950."
He said that record was beaten with a 67-degree temperature drop in 24 hours since Wednesday in the Capital City. Roberts noted this was also only the fourth time the state has experienced -50 or colder wind chills since 1948.
Central Wyoming broke records of its own late Wednesday night.
Meteorologist Treevor Lavoie told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that Riverton observed a low of -31, and Casper broke records at -42. Lavoie said the last cold outbreak of this magnitude was in the late 1970s for the Riverton area, but Casper had the all-time coldest temperature recorded since 1939. He said that is as far back as the meteorological reports go.
Impacts
The weather did have an impact on transportation throughout the state. Wyoming Department of Transportation public relations specialist Jordan Achs said it was "a wild weather day," and parts of Interstate 80 experienced wind gusts as strong as 87 mph.
She said there were blow-over crashes, as well as limited visibility when the snow came in.
"The texture of the snow made it really conducive to blowing around and creating visibility issues," said Achs. "That was the main thing they were fighting all night."
Snowplow drivers were working across the state, and will continue to work, as more snow is expected through the end of the week and into the weekend. She said visibility is important, so snowplows can be delayed until it improves.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation also wants to remind residents traveling for the holiday to watch for snowplows. There have been six snowplow hits this season, and Achs said they want to keep the number low.
Local law enforcement didn't experience an increase in calls for service related to the weather, but Cheyenne Police Department public information officer Alex Farkas said they always encourage citizens to remain alert and vigilant.
She said officers patrolled the streets for transient individuals to advise them of the drop in temperatures and to encourage them to seek refuge. They worked closely with the local COMEA House homeless shelter this effort, and continue to recommend safety precautions.
Weekend forecast
Cold temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend, but meteorologists in both southeast and central Wyoming said they will not be as extreme.
Roberts said temperatures in Cheyenne should rise into the low teens and 20s, although wind chill warnings remain in effect until Friday afternoon. He said dangerously low wind chill temperatures could be close to -44, which can cause frostbite on exposed skin within five to 10 minutes.
"If you're going outside, you need to limit your exposure by dressing appropriately for it," Roberts said. "Have extra precautions inside your vehicle, if you travel."
He and local law enforcement officials reminded residents to check wyoroad.info before traveling for the holidays, and to keep the extreme weather in mind. There are webcams and route information, as well as road impact weather forecasts available at the website and on the Wyoming 511 app.
"Our best advice is to check road conditions before traveling and prepare an emergency kit for your vehicle," said Farkas. "It is also important to remove ice and snow from the windshield, hood and top of the vehicle. With any winter storm, we encourage citizens to adjust their speed to the road conditions and allow additional time to reach destinations."
Christmas Day should be significantly warmer, with a forecast high temperature in the low 40s. However, Lavoie said the model forecasts may be too optimistic, and the temperature could stay below that.
But "we won't be having the dangerous cold temperatures that we're currently experiencing during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day," said Lavoie.
Jasmine Hall is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's state government reporter. She can be reached by email at jhall@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3167. Follow her on Twitter @jasminerhphotos and on Instagram @jhrose25.
