Winter Storm — Southeast Big Horn Basin, Wyoming

2007-03-28 to 2007-03-30 · Southeast Big Horn Basin, Wyoming

Wider weather episode

A slow-moving low pressure system produced widespread heavy snow and gusty wind crippling much of central Wyoming. Strong southerly pre-frontal wind gusts of around 60 mph were common ahead of the storm. Blizzard conditions were reported from Buffalo south to Casper as strong northeast upslope flow developed as the storm progressed east. Frequent reports of sustained wind of 35 mph with gusts to around 50 mph were received. The peak wind gust at Buffalo, one of the hardest hit areas, was 64 mph.

Impressive snowfall was received in conjunction with the prolonged period of upslope flow. Snowfall amounts of three to five feet were common in the Bighorn and Wind River Mountains, and on Casper Mountain. The peak snow total was estimated to be six feet at the Hobbs Park SNOTEL in the Wind River Mountains. Most lower elevation locations reported snowfall of 8 to 20 inches. However, the favored upslope location of Lander received around 30 inches of snow.

The combination of the wind and snow caused many roads to be closed. By Thursday morning most routes out of Casper and Buffalo were closed with drifts of several feet being reported in some locations. A multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 90 north of Buffalo closed that road early Wednesday. The crash involved a bus carrying 39 students, seven semi-tractor trailers, and 11 other vehicles. Approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled and four injuries occurred with this incident.

Early estimates show that upwards of 1,000 head of livestock were probably lost during the storm and at one time more than 2,000 homes were without power.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 17660. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.