Winter Weather — East Platte County, Wyoming

2009-12-25 to 2009-12-26 · East Platte County, Wyoming

Event narrative

Winter conditions occurred over much of southeast Wyoming on Christmas day and continued through the late afternoon of the 26th. Area roads were closed due to snow and blowing snow reducing visibilities and creating hazardous driving conditions. Wind Chills were minus 10 to minus 15 degrees at the time the body was found.

Wider weather episode

An upper level disturbance on the west coast moved southward over the southern Rockies and then out onto the southern plains from approximately December 21st through the 26th. This system affected the Cheyenne CWA in two waves. The first occurred December 22 and 23rd and brought light snow with strong winds that created drifting snow and hazardous driving conditions. As the storm system moved eastward, it intensified and brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to the central Plains over the Holiday weekend. A second wave of significant winter weather occurred over southeast Wyoming and the western Nebraska panhandle in wraparound energy from late on the 24th through the 26th. Heavy snow and very strong winds produced blizzard conditions in the northeast portions of the CWA with near blizzard conditions elsewhere. Many roads were closed, including interstates 80 and 25 on Christmas day. Two deaths were indirectly attributed to to the second wave of winter weather, one near Laramie, WY and the other near Guernsey, WY.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 203579. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.