Winter Storm in Upper Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Heavy snow fell in Dubois, where 10 inches of new snow was measured. Amounts dropped sharply farther to the south and east along US Highway 26.

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.