Winter Storm — Wind River Basin, Wyoming

2023-01-01 to 2023-01-02 · Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Event narrative

Heavy snow fell through much of the Wind River Basin. Snowfall amounts ranged from 7.9 inches at Shoshoni to 14.5 inches to the west of Riverton.

Wider weather episode

A potent winter storm rang in the New Year across Wyoming and brought heavy snow across much of the area, leading to numerous road closures, including Interstates 25 and 80, and severely hampering holiday travel. The heaviest snow fell East of the Divide. In the Wind River Mountains, as much as 27 inches of new snow fell. The Lander area saw the highest snowfall totals in the populated areas, with anywhere from 15 to 22 inches around town. Over a foot of snow also fell in the lower elevations of Lincoln, Natrona, Sublette and Sweetwater Counties. The snow was also accompanied by wind gusts close to 50 mph in the favored locations, bring near zero visibility with blowing and drifting snow.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1074195. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.