Winter Storm in Wind River Mountains West, Wyoming

Heavy snow fell in the western Wind River Mountains. The highest estimated total was 21 inches at the Kendall Ranger Station SNOTEL site.

A second, stronger cold front followed quickly on the heels of a cold front that swept through the state on January 4. This second front had better upper-level dynamics support and much more moisture to work with in addition to moving slower. The result was very heavy snow across much of western Wyoming. The heaviest snow fell in the Tetons, where there were widespread reports of over 2 feet of snow. The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort even measured nearly 3 feet of snow. Additional estimates revealed two feet of snow fell in the Salt River and Wyoming ranges, with up to 21 inches in the western Wind River Range. In the lower elevations, some of the higher totals included 24 inches at Moose, 23 inches at Bondurant, and 14 inches at Cokeville. The heavy snow resulted in road closures and difficult travel. WYDOT had to close Wyoming Highway 28 over Teton Pass to conduct avalanche control. Across the Interstate 80 corridor, high winds occurred with a maximum gust of 63 mph in central Sweetwater County.