Winter Storm — Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

2022-12-12 to 2022-12-14 · Wind River Mountains East, Wyoming

Event narrative

A combination of heavy snow and strong wind brought low visibility to South Pass, resulting in the closure of Highway 28.

Wider weather episode

A potent storm developed over Colorado and moved northeastward, spreading heavy snow across much of central Wyoming. The highest snowfall occurred at Midwest in northeastern Natrona County where 24 inches of snow was measured. Amounts greater than 10 inches were also reported in Johnson, Fremont, and Sweetwater Counties. A tight pressure gradient developed as well, with the strongest wind occurring in northern Johnson County. Wind gusts past 50 mph occurred for several days, resulting in the closure of Interstate 25 for a few days. Many major roads were shut down at the height of the storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1070996. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.